From: "Rei-chan" <reichan@inwind.it>
Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Opening The Future Doors I (repost)

I start writing this fan fiction, the same evening I bought Evangelion vol.
9

In this fic I used characters from CC Sakura.  In the next chapters, I also
borrow characters from other mangas such as Sailor Moon, Nadia, and Wataru
Yoshizumi's "Kimishika Iranai" (children, mainly).  I'd like to make it
clear that CC Sakura's characters who are present in this fic are slightly
different from the original ones.

Tomoyo is not Sonomi's daughter, but Ritsuko Akagi.  Yukito Tsukishiro's son
Yuki, on this occasion, has become a surgeon!  ^^ Tomoyo isn't ten; she's
six (seven in the next chapters).   The same thing for Akane; (the child
with pony-tails who appears in The Card Float's ep, if you want a picture of
her ask me.) she isn't the very beautiful daughter of that mummy who always
leaves her all alone at home (poor little child *sniff*).   She's Misato
Katsuragi and Kaji Ryouji's daughter, and she's almost three years, the
little toddler!  For the rest (at least in regard of this ep.) I didn't
invent any other character; Nozomi existed already (even if she appears in
no Eva ep. Hikari sometimes mentions her).

I close these notes, telling of the time that this fic takes place (as you
can argue from the timeline) in the future ^^ : ten years after; and myself
being a total fan of the Rei-Shinji couple, I based this fan fiction mainly
on those two ^^;;And in this fan fiction Rei is NOT sterile, differing from
the rumor about it.  Now I'm going to  stop talking, ok?  Good Reading!
And if you wish you have a fanart showing both Misato and Akane together,
contact me and I can send a copy of the attachment to you ASAP!  Rina-chan

"Opening The Future Doors"


Neo Tokyo-3.  15th May 2025AD


Tranquillity had finally reigned over Neo-Tokyo 3.  Ten years had past, from
the last terrestrial fight against the Angels.  It was spring time at last.
Shinji Ikari was no longer the shy, introverted, melancholic fourteen year
old he was before.  Three months ago today, on the 15th February 2025, he
had finally realized his biggest dream...and now he was living it,
interpreting it as one of the most beautiful moments in his life...
"Mmm...it's already morning..."Shinji whispered, sitting on his bed and
looking out the window next to him.
Outside the window, he could admire the blossomed garden while the cherry
trees opened their graceful pink flowers, which a slight morning wind
dandled sweetly.  The boy smiled.  Even though three months had passed since
he had moved to this little home in suburbia, the peaceful and quiet sight
which had been created all around him, still amazed him and filled his heart
with joy and sweetness.
*Cherry trees blossoming...what a wonderful sight...*
Shinji leaned his hand over the window's glass and opened it by pushing
softly, letting clean and scented spring air in.  The boy stretched, and
then turned and looked sideways on the bed, by now no more a single bed, but
a double as he had found his life partner.  Even though the place next to
him was empty, one could see by the pillow and blanket's creases somebody
had slept there.  Shinji smiled, looking at the empty place next to him.
This was also a part of the happiness reigning over the young man's heart
because it pointed out the fact that he was no longer alone, that someone,
during the night, had been by his side.
*She won't ever change...she's always the same early bird...* he thought
while smiling.  Then, looking forward over the bedside table, cast a glance
at the alarm clock:  7:30 AM.
"I'd better get up.  They'll be waiting for me at the Base.  I guess she's
waiting for me too..."Shinji said, standing up from the bed and exiting the
room.
Shinji drew near the half-closed door of the kitchen where the sounds of
colliding cups and coffee spoons could be heard from all over the room...
Shinji smiled and peeped through the slightly opened door: it was Rei.
Still dressed in her nighty, she was preparing breakfast.  Shinji kept on
looking at her, standing still in front of the half-closed door.  He looked
at every gentle and fine movement of her seductive frame while she was
arranging the table piece by piece, waiting for Shinji's wake-up.  He was
fascinated by this girl who had become his wife three months before.
Looking at her like this, when she was standing alone in front of the sink,
in a true aura of loveliness, holding the coffee pot in her hand and dressed
with a golden sunrise from the window behind her...it was all a marvelous
show for Shinji.  It was as if an angelic creature was in front of him.  She
stood before him as if she had just come from Paradise for him alone in
order to make him feel all the happiness he had never felt before.
Shinji remained to gaze at her while she was rinsing the coffee pot; he
looked at her thin tender shoulders bent over the sink.  Sometimes he had
the impression he could see a pair of wings through the glimmer of the sun
which enlightened her frame.
Shinji lowered his head, closed his eyes, and then smiled and slowly opened
the door and entered the room.
Rei turned to Shinji slowly, watching him approach her, then smiled sweetly.
Still smiling, she looked away from Ikari and went back to looking at the
sink where she was rinsing kitchen utensils.  Shinji drew near her and
embraced her from behind, crossing Rei's shoulders with his arms.  Then he
leaned his head over the girl's shoulder.
"Good morning, my love..."Rei whispered, turning and kissing Shinji over her
shoulder.
"Good morning to you, Rei-chan," Shinji answered, returning her kiss.
Rei wiped her hands with a towel and, together with Shinji, drew near the
table where an abundant breakfast was already waiting for them.  It had been
prepared by Rei's own hands.  They sat at the table.
"Just think, three months have passed since that day and it still doesn't
seem real to me yet," Shinji said, smiling while pouring milk into a cup,
looking at the bi-monthly calendar that still showed the old paper which was
signed in red for their wedding day: 15th February 2025
"Yes.  Three months ago we realized our love and exchanged our mutual
eternal promise..."answered Rei, putting her cup on the table.
The wedding ring shone, encircling the annular finger of her left hand.
Shinji observed the wedding ring on Rei's finger, and looked at his too,
lifting his open hand, towards sunlight which made the ring shine.  Over the
ring there were tiny engravings: "From Rei to Shinji Forever" The young man
smiled, remembering again the moment when he attached the wedding ring again
to Rei's finger and the moment when Rei reciprocated the ring, with the
fateful sentence: "With this ring, symbol of my fidelity and love, I marry
you, Shinji..."
"You're thinking about it again aren't you, Shin-chan?" asked Rei, smiling
at the young man, already sensing what he was recalling while they were
having their breakfast slowly.
Shinji nodded.
"There's no minute I'm not thinking of it, Rei-chan.  It was the most
beautiful sentence I have ever heard in the world..."
Rei smiled once again and looked in turn at the engravings over her wedding
ring.  Of course, the inscriptions were the opposite of the ones which Rei
had engraved over the ring she gave him. "From Shinji to Rei Forever".
In spite of the inscriptions being tiny, to say the least, still in that
moment they could be read very well.  Better than a hoarding written in very
large letters.
"We'll spend a happy life together, Rei-chan, myself and you," Shinji said,
a double-edged sentence hiding another meaning.  Even if he tried to
camouflage the second meaning to Rei, and to avoid her thinking it over a
key which would be better not to touch...(I'm not sure what to do here.  It'
s a fragment sentence but I don't understand the complete thought.  Even if
he tried to hide it.what.what would happen even if he tried to hide it?)
Sure, he could have avoided saying such a sentence, but he knew Rei very
well by now.
Often when they discussed together their happiness, he could read in her
eyes a slight thread of sorrow which she often used to hide, but Shinji
succeeded in catching it the same.
Then Shinji, in order to avoid Rei touching on that question, tried to
remove it from his sentence, in order to make her understand that she was
enough for him.  To have another person who proves their love, wasn't that
indispensable for being happy forever.  Rei understood what Shinji was
thinking of, but differently from the way she used to behave when a certain
subject was brought up with her.  The girl blushed slightly and, looking
away from the ring, looked at Shinji full in the face: one could notice a
slight embarrassment on her face in that moment.
"S...Shin-chan."
But all at once, Shinji regained the cognition of time and suddenly rushed
to glance at the clock behind him.
"Oh GOSH!!!!   It's so late!!!   I'm already late!   I have to get to the
Base!!!" yelled Shinji with regret before drinking milk from his mug as
quickly as possible.
Rei was surprised at Shinji's reaction but then went back to smiling while
looking at the young man, or better, her bridegroom, stuffing himself so
quickly, as he used to do when he was a little boy late for the school.  But
then, she came back and tried to complete the sentence which had made her
blush with embarrassment before.
"Shin-chan..."she whispered, standing up from her seat slowly.
"What's with you, Treasure?" said Shinji, lazily, while trying to dress up
in record-time to get to the Base.  In that moment, he was really too busy,
but he could not imagine Rei was to tell him such a notice.  He thought it
was the usual morning ritual of effusions which they returned to each other
before Shinji went to work.
"Ehm...I...have something to say to you..." said Rei blushing while creasing
the thin hem of her nighty with her left hand.
"Tell me, Rei-chan!   To hell with this tie!!   How in the world did it knot
this way??!"
"Ehm...you know...I have something to say to you..." said the girl lowered
her eyes shyly, unable to keep on with the sentence she was trying to say.
Shinji, in a hurry, kissed her, took her hand, and said" Yes, I know!  I
Love you so much too, Rei-chan!   But now I really have to run!   Sorry if I
can't stay here and listen to you.  I'm really late!   Today at Nerv I have
to replace my father 'cause he's abroad.  I wish Fuyutsuki hadn't retired.
See you this evening, Love!   And prepare yourself for this evening.  I'll
take you to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate our third month of
marriage!  Do you agree??"
"Shin-chan...I guess...that...I...I'm...expecting a ba-baby..." said Rei,
gazing at the floor, embarrassed.  She kept creasing the hem of her nighty
with her hand.
Shinji, still in a big hurry, for a moment didn't mind what Rei had told
him.
"Oh, yeah!   Wonderful!   You're expecting a bab..."Shinji finally realized
what Rei had told him and opened up all at once with one hand remaining over
the door handle.  Suddenly, there was a pause of silence surrounding the
house.  Shinji's mind blurred completely at Rei's words and his heart kept
on beating more and more quickly as he kept on asking himself if it had been
a dream or the truth he had heard.
"Wh...what..."faltered Shinji, caught by a strong emotion, making an effort
not to faint right then.
"It's true, Shinji."
Rei stopped to gaze at the floor and lifted her fearful eyes towards Shinji
slowly, waiting with angst and fear of the reaction of the man, who still
remained speechless and wide-eyed.  The interminable silence was broken from
his briefcase, which slipped out of Shinji's hand and fell to the ground.
"Are...you really...Rei-chan!?!?" asked Shinji, still shocked.  A smile of
unbelievable joy outlined over his lips.
The girl, seeing Shinji's smile, cheered up and nodded.
"Oh...Rei-chan...my Treasure,  but--it's...it's wonderful...it's
MARVELLOUS!!!" he yelled, flinging himself at Rei and hugging her as tightly
as possible.
"Shinji...I...I..."Rei whispered, almost crying for joy. "I thought
that...that I could never have.it was...it was always said that I was
sterile...and yet...and yet now...now I'm..."
Shinji stopped embracing Rei to look her in the eye.  He smiled at her and
kept his hand over the young woman's thin shoulders.
"Rei, it doesn't matter what had been said.  What is happening now is what
is important!   And now, you're expecting a baby, our baby, Rei-chan..."
Shinji whispered, moving his hands over Rei's face, and kissing her
intensely.
"Yes.  You're right, Shin-chan," Rei said, caressing her lap with a hand.
Shinji rested his hand over Rei's.
"Who knows what a big tummy you'll have in some months..." said Shinji
ironically while caressing her lap.
"At any rate, today I'll go to Doctor Akagi for an ultrasound so we can
confirm the pregnancy.  You know sometimes the pregnancy tests can be
 wrong."
Shinji nodded, smiling.
"In my opinion, it wasn't wrong, Rei-chan.  Who knows if it'll be a baby boy
or a baby girl..."
Rei shook her head.
"I don't know, I think it's too early to know."
"Right..." said Shinji, still smiling, his eyes full of tears.
The sound of the cuckoo-clock in the entrance, saying eight o' clock in the
morning broke the brief moment of tranquility.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!   IT'S SO LATE!!!   I GOTTA HURRY OR I'LL MISS THE EIGHT
TEN BUS!!!" yelled Shinji, nearly tearing his hair out. "Rei-chan, Treasure!
I will see you later in the afternoon!   Don't strain yourself, will you!
And say hello to our child for me as well, when you see him or her showing
in the ultrasound, okay?  See you soon, my Sweet Love!!"
Rei-chan smiled, seeing her Shinji running so quickly down the stairs of
their house, like a boy, running late for school.  Rei watched from the
window at Shinji, running like mad in order to arrive at the nearest
bus-stop on time.  She smiled and then looked down along her womb and,
caressing it, thought to herself *Thank you, Shinji...*


Ten minutes later, Shinji was standing on the bus that would carried him to
Nerv.  The young man was wrapped up in a thousand thoughts.
*It's wonderful...I can't believe it...we will have a child...it would be
just right to have the son I have always thought I could never have...Before
marrying her I had to make a choice: either Rei or a son.  I knew I could
never have both of them, and yet...I'm sure God wanted this pregnancy...*
Shinji was almost touched by thinking of that fateful sentence which Misato
had said ten years ago.  In that very moment it had become his motto: *A
miracle's value can be appreciated only when it realized...*
The boy looked towards the sky through the window of the bus
"And it's really true..."whispered Shinji, sighing with relief and smiling.
"HEY, SHINJI!!" someone behind him yelled, interrupting the boy's dreams and
making him jump in fear.  Shinji swung around to find his old friend, Toji
Suzahara, grinning at him.
"TO...TOJI!!...ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?" exclaimed Shinji, pale and frightened.
"What are you doing, you idiot!?!?  Are you daydreaming?!?!?" Toji went on
in a definitely ironic and malicious tone.
Toji circled Shinji's neck with an arm and whispered something in his ear
which made poor Shinji blush to death (da morire).
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING NONSENSE, TOJI!!" Shinji yelled, more embarrassed than
angry.
Toji kept on with his mischievous grin.
"Eehh...give it up!!!   You know I don't trust you.  Who knows what you and
Rei are doing during the night?!!"
"TOJI,  STOP IT!!!" insisted Shinji, not succeeding anymore in ignoring
attention of the other passengers on the bus.
"Okay, okay...I won't let the other people see how far you can reach for
your fantasies..."
Shinji tried to make his old friend change subject, before the driver could
give them a good telling off.  They were no longer young boys and being told
off would be a big embarrassment for two adults like them.
"And...and you?  How is it going with Hikari?" asked Shinji, collecting
himself from the embarrassment.
"Oh!   I almost forgot it!" Toji said, looking for something inside his
trouser pockets. "Here.  Finally, it's an invitation to our wedding.  Hikari
and I found an apartment which is handy for us, and I found a regular job as
a trainer for a local mini-basketball team.  So we have decided to get
married.  It'll be the sixth day of next month, and bring your little damsel
as well please!"
"Ah, well, I'm happy for you!   I'll come for sure!" answered Shinji,
reading the invitation ticket for Toji and Hikari's wedding.
Toji smiled "I will be expecting you then!"
"Sure!" answered Shinji.
All at once, the bus stopped and the doors opened.
"I'm getting off here.  The gym where I teach is near here.  See you later,
Shinji!   Take care of yourself!   And please give my greetings to Rei!"
Toji said, while hopping off the bus
"Thank you!   And you, reciprocate with Hikari!"
"Sure, sure!!"
When all the persons destined to get off at this bus-stop had got off, the
doors closed themselves and Shinji found next to him a seat which finally
was free.  He sat down, looking again at the invitation ticket for the
wedding.  With his imagination he had changed it to a born-annunciation
ticket, imagining the one which, within nine months, would be like this.
He'd have to deliver too.  Shinji smiled and shook his head, making the
thought which was wrapping him up, fade away.  The young man looked out of
the window, and saw that his bus-stop was the next, so he lifted up from the
ground his briefcase, and got ready to get off.


Two hours later...
"Oh Rei-chan...you're not expecting only a baby.  You're expecting two!!"
Doctor Ritsuko exclaimed joyfully, while checking the monitor which was
showing the inner of girl's womb during the ultrasound.
"What?!?" asked Rei, astonished.
"That's it!   It's really so!!   They're twins!   Look for yourself!" said
Ritsuko, smiling and indicating two points present in the monitor. "Look at
it...do you see that little spot here which is moving slowly?"
The girl nodded.
"Here it is, and this being one of the pair...and...do you see here?  On the
other side you can see the other little spot very similar to the first one.
That's your second baby!   Making them the two little twins!
Unfortunately, it's still too early to determinate their sex, but one thing
is sure: there are two babies!"
Ritsuko kept on with her smiling.
"I can't...I can't believe it!..."Rei whispered to herself, still
astonished.  She kept observing the monitor.
Ritsuko smiled and came back to look at Rei.
"It's true, Rei-chan!   Congratulations, Treasure!   You'll soon become the
mother of two wonderful babies!"
Rei was almost on the verge of tears.
"Incredible...I...I...thought that...I could never have..."
"We thought too, Rei-chan.  Yet the ultrasound here speaks clearly.  There
are two babies in your womb; two babies who'll bear in less than nine
months.  You see, science can take great strides, but remember that nature
always makes greater strides.  It's impossible to rule nature," Ritsuko
said, passing the sensor over Rei's womb, gently, and keeping her eye on the
monitor.
Rei smiled and look at the monitor where she could make out the tiny shapes
of those who would soon become her children.  All at once someone knocked on
the door of Doctor Akagi's laboratory.
"Mummy, it's me!" said a voice which appeared to be feminine and childish,
coming from beyond the door.
"Oh, Tomoyo-chan, is that you?" asked Doctor Akagi, speaking to the person
who stood outside the door.  The door opened slowly.
"May I....Hello, Mummy!   Sorry...I didn't know you were working.  Did I
bother you?" asked discreetly a little girl about five or six years with
very long dark hair tied up in two tails falling forward, and two big blue
eyes, which matched the color of the elegant dress she was wearing.
Hello, Tomoyo-chan!" chorused Rei and Ritsuko.
"No, please come in, Tomoyo-chan.  Don't worry!" said Rei, smiling at the
child.
"Sure, Tomoyo-chan!   Please, come in!   We're almost done," answered
Ritsuko tenderly, smiling at the child.
Tomoyo shut the door behind her.  Slowly she came into the lab and went to
sit down in a seat placed in a corner of the room.
"It's all right, my dear.  You can get up now," Ritsuko said, helping Rei to
stand up.
"Thanks, Doctor Akagi" answered Rei, getting herself sat over the litter
where she had been lying before, and arranging her shirt.
"Not at all, Rei-chan.  Please be aware that since there are two babies the
pregnancy will be more difficult, especially for you, being so frail.  At
the moment you're beginning the second trimester.  Though the troubles are
smaller, I bet you've already felt symptoms of nausea or sudden dizziness,
said Ritsuko.
"Yes, it's true...because of them Shinji and I had to give up going out in
the evening most nights," answered the girl.
Ritsuko laughed.
"Yes, exactly.  And little by little, unfortunately, these symptoms will
become more and more frequent and will be accompanied by other troubles such
as pain in the lower womb, shivers from hot to cold, and sudden laziness.
Around the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, the babies will start the
process for completing their bodies.  Then, they'll keep on kicking and
it'll feel like the babies have woken up all at once.  This is the most
critical phase of the pregnancy, but for this there's still time...there's
no need to worry now.
"By the way, if you should feel ill, don't hesitate to call me!   All right,
Rei-chan?"
The lady nodded, smiling.  Tomoyo, Doctor Akagi's daughter, listened to all
the dialog silently.  One could argued from the look on her face, that the
little girl hadn't a word of the conversation.
Rei became solemn.
"But will I be able to accomplish the pregnancy?" whispered the young lady,
with fear, after what Doctor Akagi had told her what a pregnancy implied.
"Don't worry, treasure, we are with you, or better, with all of you..."
answered Doctor Akagi, leaning her hands over the girl's shoulders,
reassuring her all will have turned for the best.
"Mrs. Ritsuko..."
Doctor Akagi hugged the girl in a token of comfort.
"I'm really very happy for you, Rei-chan.  Now you've got a real family,
which you built yourself, you've got a fantastic husband, and now you'll
have some children too!   A lot of congratulations, dear!"
"Doctor Akagi..."whispered Rei,  touched.
Ritsuko smiled.
"Oh, that's funny!   I've almost forgot it!" she exclaimed, getting some
sheets out from the desk that were for doctors' eyes only.
"What are these?" asked Rei.
"Here!   They are some screenshots of the ultrasound.  Let Shin-chan see
your 'pupils' too," Ritsuko said, delivering the sheets in hand.
Rei looked at them, smiled, and nodded happily.
"Now it's late...Tomoyo-chan, treasure, would you mind shutting the windows
so we can go?"
"Yes, mummy!" answered the little girl, getting off the seat, and running to
shut the windows.
"Come to think of it, Tomoyo-chan.  Didn't you come back home with daddy
today?  Why did you come here?"
"Today we finished the singing-lessons earlier and when I went to daddy's
hospital they told me that daddy won't be able to come with us for breakfast
because he had to operate on a sudden emergency.  So then I came to you!"
"I see...I'm sorry, love, I know you wanted to came back home with daddy
today but our work is full of accidents..."
"Yes I know!   Don't worry, mummy!   I can wait for another day!   And today
he promised he'll be at home for breakfast!"
Tomoyo nodded and smiled once again, while drawing near her mother and Rei.
"Lucky you, Rei-chan!   This job's commitments, among you and Shin-chan,
will be a little frequent, and then both of you will be able to dedicate
more of yourselves to your children!" said Ritsuko.
Rei blushed shyly saying, "Yes...then...see you soon, Doctor Akagi.  Thank
you for everything, and give my regards to Doctor Tsukishiro as well."
"Thanks Rei-chan!  Reciprocate with Shin-chan!" answered Ritsuko.
"I'll cheer up my daddy for you" said Tomoyo, turning to Rei.
"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan!"
Rei thanked Doctor Akagi her daughter once again, before they parted, taking
different ways.  Rei headed toward the lift while Ritsuko and her daughter
took the longest corridor.  While walking, Tomoyo looked at her mother
"Mummy..."
"Yes?" answered Ritsuko.
"Ehm...may I ask you something?" said the little girl, bringing one hand in
front of the mouth, and blushing slightly.
"Of course you can, Tomoyo-chan.  What is it about?" asked Ritsuko.
"What's the 'Prettnancy'?" answered Tomoyo, shielding with her hand in front
of her mouth.
"The 'Prettnancy!?!?  Do you mean the 'Pregnancy'?!?!?"
Tomoyo nodded and Ritsuko smiled.
"Ehm...I'll explain it on the way home!" answered Ritsuko stroking Tomoyo's
hair.
"Mm...dash!  The lift is engaged..." said the girl with blue hair while
clicking once again the lift's button, booking it.  While waiting for the
lift, the girl came back and looked once again at the ultrasound's pictures,
which she had to show Shinji, smiling to herself she enjoyed imagining how
her babies would be like once they were born.
Rei thought again to Ritsuko's behavior towards her daughter and to all the
responsibilities which it involved.  At any rate, it wasn't so difficult.
Rei had learnt since she had known Shinji to take care of herself, then of
him, and now, she believed that, finally, it wouldn't have been that hard to
take care of other persons, or better, of her babies....
It was the noise of the lift's doors which broke off Rei's thoughts, opening
at that floor, a little girl about three years old with two little brown
pony-tails, chestnut eyes, dressed up in dungarees that were chamois colored
and white short sleeves tee-shirt underneath them jumped out of the lift.
Rei recognized her.
The child seemed to be in a hurry.  In fact, when the doors were fully
opened, the child escaped with quick steps, waving only briefly at the girl
who smiled, looking at the odd figure of the child, running so quickly.
Rei then thought maybe it'd be better to stop her.  Usually children don't
go around the huge corridors of Nerv...they could get lost.  All at once she
listened to some very quick steps, coming from the flight behind her,  as if
someone else was coming upstairs quick as possible, but very likely it was
an adult this time.
"AKANE-CHAN!!!  GIVE IT UP!!I  PRAY YOU!  STOP YOU!!"
At the exclamation, the girl turned and saw Colonel Katsuragi pop out of the
stairs breathing heavily.  She got her breath back for a second, while
leaning a hand on the handrail of the stairs.  Although some seconds later,
she was running again like a possessed Demon, along the corridor, while
keeping in her hand an opened pot of something, with a little spoon inside
it.  The Colonel became aware of Rei and thought maybe she, being nearest to
the little child, could reach the child before she got away.
"REI-CHAN!!I  PRAY YOU!!!  STOP THAT CHILD!!!  STOP HER!!"
Rei, always obeying the orders which were given to her, chased the 'little
fugitive' who was running only a few feet in front, when suddenly, the
little girl stumbled over the laces of her shoes which were kept undone, and
slammed to the ground, sliding along the smooth and bright floor of Nerv.
Misato ran towards the child before she could stand up again and with a leap
caught her by an arm and lifted her up roughly while she was agitated.
"Ah-Ah!!!  I caught you this time!!  Did you see, Treasure??  How odd, wasn'
t it??  Today haven't you wondered why I let you undo your shoelaces without
interrupting you??  Eeeh??  Ahahaha!!  You outsmarted yourself with your own
hands!  OHOHOHOHO."
"Mummy!!  Leave me alone!!" exclaimed the little child struggling.
Rei looked at the scene, astonished.
*What is Colonel Katsuragi saying to her daughter??  Has she gone crazy??*
Misato turned to Rei sensing her thoughts.
"Oh, Rei-chan.  Don't mind!  It's a long story!"
Misato sat down on the ground and put Akane seated in front of her while she
took the spoon out of the pot.  She took a spoonful of the dense orange
liquid and gave it to little girl.
"Come on, Treasure!!  Open your little mouth!!  Aren't you happy??  It's the
Yogurt of your favorite taste!  Cheese and peach!" exclaimed Mrs. Katsuragi
in a joyful tone, trying to convince the baby to eat.
Akane looked at the little spoon with a menacing glare, then turned her face
to the side, maimed the mouth and exclaimed, "NNO!!"
"Why not???  Give it up, Akane-chan!  Don't make me waste my time!  Mummy
has got to work!  Give it up!!  Don't play games with me!!" exclaimed
Misato, putting the spoon down when the little girl had turned her face.
"No, I said!!" she exclaimed again, turning again to the other side, and
sticking out her tongue.
"Akaneeee...You are the reason for my exhaustion!!"
But the little pest didn't let herself be intimidated at all by her mother's
words.  She was staying seated,  turning her back to Misato, with her arms
folded and her face high.  Misato had an idea, after all, she was the
operative director, and who better than her could devise some strategies??
"Okay....if you don't want it, Akane, it means that this very very very very
good yogurt will be eaten by Rei & I.  We'll eat it all ourselves, won't we
Rei-chan??" said Misato, turning towards Rei, who was still looking at the
scene curiously.
Rei was surprised, then saw that Misato winked at her as a token of assent,
and Rei nodded, drawing nearer.
"Eheh...*evil grin* did you see, Akane???  Very soon we will eat it all, and
you will have nothing!!!
"SO EAT IT YOU!!" kept on Akane, in an imperative voice.
"..."
"Colonel Katsuragi, I guess you didn't persuade her," Rei said.
"Yeah!!...*sigh* Lucky you, Rei-chan!!  You haven't the trouble of
children!!"
Rei got upset for Misato's words.
After all, Misato didn't know of her pregnancy yet, therefore it was more
than natural that she told her such a sentence.  But, what did that sentence
mean?  Maybe it was better not to have children after all? What for??
"Ehm...Akane!  this is your last warning!  After it, I'll eat it all and I
won't give you a thing!  Okay??"
The little child turned to her mother, letting her see her own sulky and
resolute face.
"Like I said before, you eat it!"
"......*sigh*......" Misato, disconsolate and resigned, gave a look at the
pot which she kept in her hand, with a dense pale orange colored mush
inside.  The woman assumed a sickened expression.
 *uuuughh...I hate this yogurt...Look at what I have to do...* she thought,
eating, unwillingly, a spoonful.  Misato, before tasting that filth, wanted
to give a desperate look at her child, to see if her daughter would change
her mind suddenly but the little girl, as it seemed by her expression was
very impatient to see her mother swallow the snack and give her proof how
good it was!  Misato inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, opened the mouth and
brought a spoonful of yogurt near to her mouth, and sampled it.
In the corridor there was a moment of silence: Akane looked at the scene
intrigued while Rei was on the verge of bursting out with laugher.  Misato
was in a cold sweat, trying to swallow the yogurt, making an effort in order
not to spit it out.  After succeeded in her purpose, Misato tried to
camouflage her sickened look, making a smile, and saying "mmmmmmhhh...that's
gooood!!" she exclaimed, making a convincing smile towards her daughter.
Some tiny drops of cold sweat were starting to drip down her face.
"Is it real good?" asked Akane, convinced.
"Sure is!  It's very good!!  Now eat it all, please!!" answered Misato,
taking another spoonful, and bringing it near her daughter's mouth for a
second time.
"Are you sure??" asked the child, still hesitating.
Misato nodded.  "Sure, Treasure!!  It's so good!!!  Come on, now!!!  I'm
sure that after you've had a taste of it you'll want to swallow it all in
one gulp!" said Misato, continuing to play her comedy in front of the little
girl.
"Mmm......"
Akane-chan finally opened her mouth.  Acting quickly so that Akane wouldn't
have time to think it over, Misato fed her.  Colonel Katsuragi was in the
verge of yelling Victory, but she had no time for caressing the idea,
because nothing good was promised by the grimace of the child.
"PRRRRRR!!!  BLEAAACCCH!!!" exclaimed the little girl, as she spat the
spoonful of yogurt, which had only just been tasted, on Misato.  Misato
looked at her dress, full of spots left by the yogurt.
By Rei's look someone could argue that the girl made an incredible effort in
order not to burst laughing, in light of Colonel Katsuragi's misfortunes.
NOO!!!" yelled the woman after the pause of silence.  "My clean dress!!!"
The child, splitting her sides laughing, fell over on her back.
"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...AKANEEEEEEEE!!  LOOK AT WHAT YOU' VE DONE!!!" yelled
Misato, irritated.
The girl, not succeeding in recovering from laughing, still laid on her
back, as if in front of her it was the most amusing show in the world.
Suddenly, the lift's doors could be heard opening in the distance, and from
the elevator a man stepped out slowly, dressed up in uniform, with a
pony-tail and an unkempt beard, holding in his hand a bag, where one could
have argued held something round.
"Are you still trying to make her eat that filth, Misato-chan?" said the
man, while drawing nearer.
Rei, Misato and the child turned abruptly at the man's sentence.  As soon as
she saw the man who was approaching them with slow paces, Akane-chan's tiny
face brightened joyfully.
"Daddy!!!!!!" yelled the child, standing up from the ground suddenly and
running to her father with open arms.
"Akane!!  Come back here!" exclaimed Misato, while stretching her arm out to
grab her daughter, but the child ignored her mother.
"Good morning, Mister Kaji!" said Rei gently, as soon as Kaji was close
enough.
"Hello, Rei-chan!" answered the man, brushing with his hand Rei's hair, as
he used to do when she had been a young lady of fourteen.  Rei smiled at
Kaji's odd gesture.  Colonel Katsuragi stood up on her feet.
"Oh Kaji-chan!  Our daughter is a pest!!  Asuka, with an huge effort of my
will was bearable!  But Akane-chan sometimes is a real rascal!!  Look at
what she's reduced my dress to!!" complained Katsuragi, showing Kaji the
many spots that were visible over her dress.
"Please, Mummy!!  Don't be so angry!!  Anyway, 'Nonò' will take it to the
laundry, not you!" said the little girl, trying to avoid a scolding by her
mother.
"You're incorrigible, really!!  And anyway, by now you are no more a child
who can't pronounce the names well!  His name is MAKOTO!  How many times
have I to repeat it to you?!  Not 'Nonò'! said Misato, correcting Akane who
used to call his big companion of play,  Makoto Hyouga, with the odd
nickname of 'Nonò'.
Kaji took in his arms her daughter, who had kept jumping, with her arms
lifted to incite his father to take her up.
"Eheh...it's easy to take care of the others' sons, isn't it Misato-chan?
The real problem is to take care of one's own sons!" said the man, smiling.
Misato placed a hand over her head, and bent it.
"Yeah...I hate to admit it, but that child behaves exactly the same as me
when I was a little girl!"
"It isn't true!!  I'm good.  It's mammy who wants me to eat that filth!
Bleaccckk!" said the child, in defense of herself, putting out her tongue in
order to show her disgust.
"Akane-chan!!  How many times shall I tell you not to say the word 'Filth'!!
And then the wild boy use to make grimaces!!  Good little girls don't do
that!!" exclaimed Misato, reproaching the ill-bred behavior of the child.
Kaji burst out laughing, and said "Like mother, like daughter!  Akane-chan,
mummy's gotta reason!  It doesn't sound good the word 'Filth' in a
mademoiselle's mouth...and it's true!  Wild boys make grimaces, and not the
good girls!"
The child crossed her arms and snorted, while looking at her father with a
menacing glare.
Kaji kept on smiling.
"Then...will you promise you won't drive mummy mad, and you'll be a good
child?  If you'll be a good child, I'll give you a big slice of watermelon!
Look at it!" said Kaji, lifting the bag which he held in his hand, and
showing a nice watermelon, big and green, which was inside of it.
"Ooh!!  How beautiful!!  The watermelon!  Daddy!!  Did you bring it from the
kitchen garden below?" asked Akane joyfully, completely changing expression.
Kaji nodded and kept on smiling.
"I want a slice, Daddy!!  Let's go and cut it!" yelled the child standing up
over her father's shoulders, and leaning over his neck.
"Okay, it's okay, now we're going to cut it!!  Misato-chan, Rei-chan!  You'
re coming with us, aren't you?" said Kaji, while pointing at the lift, in
order to go down to the kitchen-garden, where to cut the watermelon.
"Sure I'm coming!!" exclaimed Colonel Katsuragi.  "Kaji-chan!!  You're a
myth!!  I don't know how you do, but when Akane is with you, she becomes a
little Angel!  I have been spending all the morning,  trying to make her eat
the yogurt, and instead you, with a watermelon, are solving the problem!!
You're a real myth, my little husband!!" kept on Colonel Katsuragi, drawing
near to husband, and patting him over his shoulder, with a lot of praise.
"And you, Rei-chan?  Please!  Come with us!" said Kaji, inviting the girl.
"Oh no, I thank you a lot, but I have not much time to lose, I have to go
back home right now, and cook."
"What a pity," said Misato.  "Shin-chan is really lucky anyway!  He's got a
wife like you who prepares for him who knows how many delicious dinners!
Are you spoiling him, Rei-chan?" asked Misato.
Rei nodded and blushed.
"Ehm.  it's..."
"How I envy him!" said Kaji in a low voice.
"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?!?!?  BE AWARE I LISTENED TO YOU!!"  yelled
Misato, turning irate.
"N...Nothing..."answered Kaji with an angel face.
"Daddy!!  Let's go!!  I want the watermelon!!" exclaimed Akane, pulling her
father's hair.
"Yes, yes!  We're going, Akane-chan!!  But let my hair down, please!" yelled
Kaji, taking his hair from the little girl's hand.
"Sorry, Rei-chan, but, as you can see, we're hurry!  See you soon!"
exclaimed Kaji, turning towards the opposite side of Rei.
"Don't worry, Mr.  Kaji!  See you soon!" cheered Rei.
"Bye Rei-chan!  Take care of yourself!  And give my greetings to Shin-chan
!!" exclaimed Misato, lifting her harm and waving with her hand.
"Yeah, I will, Colonel Katsuragi!"
Katsuragi's family turned and set out towards the opposite corridor.
"Misato-chan, today I'm taking you out to dinner!  Are you happy??"  said
Kaji, while walking by her wife's side.
"Why shall you take me out for dinner right today? I had prepared curry at
home!!" answered Misato, sorry at the idea to have to miss her favorite
dish.
"Exactly!  What about having Italian Spaghetti today, instead of curry?
Italian Spaghetti only in Italian restaurants!  So we don't run risks..."
"In which sense!?!?!  Maybe you would insinuate that one could run some
risk, eating the curry prepared by me!?!??!"
"Nope!!  What are you thinking about, Misato-chan??"
Rei kept on looking at that odd family walking along the corridor, with a
smile on her face.  She turned her sight only when the three turned the
corner.  The young woman with blue hair, bent her head and smiled.
 *What a strange family...they're always quarreling with one another but
they love one another after all...and Akane-chan...what a scamp of
child...who knows if even I'll be obliged to run after them, trying to make
them eat when my children'll be born.*
Rei shook her head
*Stop now, it'll be better for me to go back home.  I won't go to Shinji
now, to give him the notice our children are two, instead than one as we
thought.  I want to tell him this evening at our home, in our nest.  Who
knows how he'll be surprised?  He never told me, but I knew that, after all,
Shinji would have always wanted to have a son.  But he knew he could never
have one from me, so he didn't tell me, scared to hurt me, and every time we
drew near this subject, he used to try an escape (via di fuga).  He did it
for me after all.  Thank you, Shin-chan.  I knew it.  He likes
children...And now instead...now I'll be able to please him...now.  now
Shinji'll have two.  And I will be the one to give him them.  It'll be me.
I who has never had a childhood outside the laboratory where I was born.  A
human being born artificially.  Me...it's right inside of me.  A new life is
bearing, or better, two lives. two children, fruit of the love between me
and Shinji.  *
Rei hugged to her chest the little sheets of the ultrasound, which she held
in her hand, and smiled.
"Shinji,. I'll accomplish this pregnancy, first of all for you...I promise
it to you. "


12:30 P.M.
"Noon has already passed." said Shinji, the brand new vice-commander,
casting a look at his wristwatch while standing still on the escalator to
exit Central Dogma.
Shinji became thoughtful.
*A son.  Before, caught by emotion and happiness, I had not reflected over
this point of view.  To have a son means to become father.  Then I'll become
father. *
Shinji bowed his head, and his expression became suddenly sad and melancholy
.
"Father," whispered Shinji in a low voice.  The boy couldn't help thinking
again about an event of his past childhood.  Perhaps  one of the worst in
his life.  The moment when his father left him all alone at the station in
tears, to be granted in custody for legal statement to Aunt Yukio and Uncle
Hayashi.
To maintain him was a burden for them.  My father.  Surely he was never
bothered that much, as I am now, when my mother told him she was expecting a
baby.  As far as I have been able to establish, even nowadays, I guess he
hadn't mind that much.  Therefore, it should be even harder for me to become
a father, than it is for the other people.  Anyone knows how to behave with
their sons, because they follow their parents' example and how they took
care of them in childhood.  But I'll never do that...I'll never follow the
mean example which my father gave me.  Then.how should I behave?.  I'm
scared.  I don't want to disappoint Rei.  I was not able to grasp the
meaning.  But I'm scared that I could disappoint her above all.*
While sorrow and insecurity could still be read on the young man's face, he
lifted his head and became aware that the escalator had almost arrived to
the Geofront's exit.  Ikari made a step forward, and went down the
elevator's stair.  He took his ID card, and passed it through the slit, so
that the sliding doors opened, and let him go outside.
Once Shinji was out of the Geofront, he noticed the lack of something.  He
turned left and right.
"There's no one!" he said, rather surprised when he found the entries and
exits of the Geofront unwatched.  "Where are all the guards?"
Shinji drew nearer, making some step forwards towards the outside, and the
sliding doors shut themselves once again.  While stepping forward and
wondering where could have the guards ended up, because they usually were
always watching over Geofront passages.  Shinji heard some distance away
some laughs and yelling, which became more and more frequent, moment after
moment.  Shinji turned right, and realized that the row which he heard came
from the other side of Geo Front.  Shinji headed towards that place with
slow paces, wondering what was happening, while yelling and laughs
increasing in volume as he rapidly approached.  The New Vice Commander,
after a while, went round the corner and finally saw almost twenty people
from a distance wearing military uniforms with the Nerv mark stamped, having
a good time and laughing like crazy, while drinking happily from big bottles
of beer.
Shinji stood looking at the scene, confused.
"What's happening right there?" the young man asked to himself, and decided
to draw nearer in order to understand something about that.  Nevertheless he
was amazed, trying to imagine what the guards were doing.  They're usually
severe and resolute men at their work.  When the boy was rather near them,
it didn't long for him to understand the men were having fun because of they
were dead drunk.
"What's with you!?  You're not allowed to have alcohol during job!!"
exclaimed Shinji, trying to take an authoritative tone of voice.  Those
guards didn't bother to take a look at the young man, and kept on bursting
out with laughter, scornfully, totally ignoring Shinji, who was looking
incredulous at the scene.
Such a thing had never happened before, especially with the guards of Nerv.
"AHAH!!!  BOYS!!!!  HERE ICOMING MORE BEER!!!!!" exclaimed all at once a
male voice behind the young man.
Shinji turned all at once, and saw in front of him the Chief-Guardian, Aida
Kensuke, drawing near to the drunk guards, while holding in his hand a big
bag full of bottles of beer for the guards and in the other hand a still
half-empty bottle of beer, which he had taken for himself.
"Kens...er...Commander Aida!" exclaimed Shinji, surprised in seeing his
friend.
Kensuke stopped laughing and looked at Shinji; he almost looked like being a
little more sober than the other ones.
"SHINJI!!" yelled Kensuke, putting the bag on the ground, throwing his beer
in air and jumping on Shinji, clinging to his shoulders, while all the
guards gathered around him, picking the bottles from the bag, as if they
were bees around honey.
"Ke.  Kensuke...What are you doing!?!?!  ARE YOU DRUNK!!  LET ME GO!!!"
yelled Shinji, while struggling free from Kensuke's grab.
"Surely I'm not drunk!!  Ghhhhhh!!" exclaimed Kensuke, keeping a malicious
smile.  "I'm crazy for joy!!!  That's even worse than being drunk!!!!
AHAHAHAHAH" exclaimed Kensuke, while searching lazily through his trousers
pockets.
*Has he gone crazy!?!* Shinji thought, while an enormous sweat drop was on
his head.
"Where is it !?" said to himself Kensuke, recovering his composure, and
letting Shinji go, in order to search through his pockets with both his
hands.
"What?" Shinji asked, starting to feel sick of this act.  All at once, one
of many drunk soldiers drew nearer, holding in his hand, besides the bottle
of beer, also which looked a crumpled photograph.
"*Ich* Thisss...*ich*.  fell out...to you...*ich...CHIEEFFF!  *ich*" the
soldier pointed out, while handing the "portrait" to the young Chief-Guard.
"Oh!!  Here it is!  Thanks a lot, Soldier Ryuzaki!  Keep on drinking,
please!" answered Kensuke, taking the photograph from the soldier's hand.
"* ich *....  I did my duty.  *ich* My Captain!...* ich*...Th....
Thanks...Ca...:Captain!.  By...by the way...my name.  *ich*...is Moriyama.
*ich*.  not...RyuzaGHi...*ich*. " answered the soldier Moriyama, while
making a military salutation as best as he could, tottering from left to
right, then going to drink with the other guards.
Kensuke straightened the photograph, trying to arrange the creases, and
laughed to himself maliciously, while doing it, under Shinji's confused
eyes.  Shinji was more and more convinced that his friend had definitely
drunk more than Misato-san used to during the time when Shinji still lived
with her.
"Kensuke, have you finished?!" asked Shinji, while realizing the time had
passed by.
"Here it is !!" Kensuke said, putting his arm around Shinji's shoulder
again, bringing his face nearer to Shinji's face.
"Look here!!!  Admire!" Kensuke said, bringing the very creased photograph
up in front of Shinji's eyes.  Shinji still confused observed the photograph
which showed a baby, probably of few days, inside a cradle while still in
hospital.
Who's he?" answered Shinji, not grasping the situation yet.
"Iihhhhh!!  Where did you get your eyes, Shinji!?!  He's obviously my son!!!
Look here!!  Isn't he a spitting image of his father!?!?!"
The young man was taken by surprise.  He could have never expected such an
answer by his old schoolmate.
"WH...WH...WHAT?!?!!?  YOUR SON!?!?  KENSUKE!!  YOU'RE NOT MARRIED!!!"
Shinji yelled in surprise.
"Then, Shinji?  I'll be married within six months, I can't see the reason
why you're getting so angry...How antiquated you are....  Haven't you seen
how beautiful my little jewel is? He's just like his father!!"  Kensuke
said, coming back to look at the photograph.
"And...and...who is the mother?!?" Shinji asked, amazed at Kensuke's words.
Kensuke cast a malicious glance, and smiled passing his hand through his
hair.
"Mmm.  Nozomi Horaki,  of course!  *GRIN*"
"NOZOMI HORAKI?!?!  HIKARI'S YOUNGER SISTER !?!?"
"Right.  Her!  We have been together for two years!  You didn't know?"
Kensuke asked , taking out of his pockets another photograph, a well
preserved one this time, which showed him and Nozomi in swim-suits over a
beach.
"But I......I had never imagined you were interested in Nozomi!" Shinji
said, beginning to grasp the situation.
"Well!  Of course!  When we were attending school, she wasn't but an eleven
year old child!  But now you have to admit she has become really beautiful
doll, hasn't she?!?" Kensuke said, giving nudges in sign of agreement to his
friend.
"Well...yes...after all she became a beautiful girl. " Shinji said,
observing the girl accurately, and agreeing with the fact that she and
Kensuke made a nice pair.  Kensuke nodded satisfied,  then came back to look
at his own son's photograph once again.
"Two days ago my sweet heart gave birth to this wonderful
jewel...aaaaaaahhhhhh!!  *SMACK!  SMACK!*  My lovely!!! *SMACK!!!*, the
chief-commander said, while kissing the photograph, frenetic
*Now I can understand Kensuke's happiness.  My mother!!* Shinji thought,
with an enormous sweat drop over his head.
"What's his name?" Shinji asked, curious about the situation.
Kensuke looked at the sky, and proudly lifted his badge, while the sun made
it shine even more.
"In the name of this badge, and of the rank of Chief of Guards, I hereby
name my son with the proudness of my heart, MUSASHI!  Just like the famous
soldier Musashi Benkei who died staying on his feet, while being fired upon
by a lot of enemy arrows!!!" yelled Kensuke in a resolute tone of voice,
while the drunk guards behind him were clapping happily at his exclamation,
making a racket.  Shinji tried to pity them, always with his head full of
sweat drops.


Some minutes later.
*Musashi...poor baby....* Shinji thought ironically, while walking slowly
along the pavement of a town road full of traffic.
*I could have bet Kensuke would have saddled his son with the name of some
soldier who had performed such an heroic deed, that he had been cited in a
book of history.* Shinji went on, while smiling and thinking again about his
ex-classmate and the guards' joy.
*Who knows what joy will be for Kensuke....  He's already imagining a future
for his son...he wishes he can become a famous soldier.  I'm sure, my father
cared about what I became.  Neither I could imagine all this, when I was a
child...I couldn't imagine my life to have that importance as now, after
all...I have already reached the most important thing...I'm not talking of
my role at the Base as a vice-commander...Neither I'm speaking about having
defeated the Angels, and having brought peace to this world.  * the young
man thought, remembering again the past events, having a flashback of ten
years ago while looking at the indifferent behavior of people walking in the
crowded street in Neo Tokyo 3
*After all....  all these people don't know who I really am.  They ignore
who Rei is, who Asuka is, and who my father is.  For them, I'm only a
twenty-four year old man, walking through town.  A common citizen of Neo
Tokyo-3.  And it's better this way.  I want it this way.  I want to be
considered a common person.  I have never minded fame and success.  I had
only a target, and I reached it.  The only thing really important for me is
Rei.  Only she and the child she'll give the birth to...and nothing more...*

End of first part

PLEAAAAAAAASEEEE!!  SEND YOU C&C!!^O^ONEGAII!!  I beg you!! ^^

From: "Rei-chan" <reichan@inwind.it>
Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Opening The Future Doors II



" Opening  The Future Doors"
Second Chapter


Five days have gone by since 15th May 2025, the day when Shinji and
Rei had received  unexpected news that was all good , soon Rei would be
having a baby, or
better,  twins. Shinji had not accostumed to the idea  of becoming father;
however, the more he thought about it, the more the idea sounded incredible
to him.  He couldn't find words, or thoughts, in order to show his enormous
happiness, Rei also felt the same feelings.
Just to think that ,inside of her own stomach, two lives were growing made
her tremble at the thought, but happy at the same time, very happy to know
that she was to conceive two living beings. the maternal conception, which
nobody had ever given her.but the past was the past, now all this didn't
matter at all. Shinji had filled her need of love in the best possible way,
and it had been reciprocal, now both of them were happy, and soon they'd
have felt gratified by the birth of their sons, the fruit of their love.



*

"COUGH! .COUGH! WH..WHAT!!?!?!?!?!"  Misato's yelling echoed across Ritsuko'
s apartment, making almost the walls to tremble.  Misato jumped on her feet,
surprised, while coughing tea, which had gone the wrong way for the amazing
news that Ritsuko had only just given her calmly.
Even Akane and Tomoyo, who were running after one another, yelling and
making a racket
all over the apartment, and had fallen silent all at once, stopped scared by
the sudden exclamation of Colonel Katsuragi.

"What's with you!? "asked doctor Akagi in a astonished tone of voice.

"But.but..are you serious!?!!??!?!?!" exclaimed  Misato again, quickly
wiping her mouth of all the tea still on her lips.

"Sure, I'm serious! What's strange with it?!  "answered Ritsuko, keeping a
calm and quiet tone, as if it were something absolutely logical.

Misato, still incredulous, knocked her hands against the low small table,
and answered in an upset voice: " HOW CAN YOU ASK ME WHAT'S STRANGE?! REI'S
EXPECTING A BABY! "

" Two twins! " kept on Ritsuko, trying to "forgive" her friend.

Misato goggled "How.. YOU SAY, you say ..two twins!?!? And.from who!?!?"

"From Shinji, of course!! They're married!" , continued Ritsuko, trying with
her calm tone of voice, to appease the surprise of  Colonel  Katsuragi.

".Mommy! WilLLl you do for me a  Ttwin? " , answered  innocently Akane, who
had listened the discussion while  Tomoyo kept on laughing  and grinning for
Akane's freakish request.

"Oh my.but.how in the world?!!? Right Shinji!!!" kept on Misato, with a
astonished face, while calming down and   sat down slowly.

"But..what's with you, today?!?  Why are you getting excited so much? I don'
t see what' s strange with it!" answered Ritsuko.

"But right Shinji!! With Rei!! They will have twin!?!?" Misato blushed,
while uttering the last two words.

"Misato... why are you scandalized so much? What's wrong with Rei being
pregnant! On the contrary, I  have to say I'm really happy for those two."
answered Ritsuko, while drawing up to herself the teapot, set upon the small
table in front of them.

"But..they're so young!! They both are only 24!!" answered Misato, while
calming down.

"Listen to who's talking! Be aware, I didn't forget when we were at the
university, you played Hooky and spent whole days in the bed with Kaji!
;;;;;", answered
Ritsuko, looking askance at Misato

Misato blushed wildly at the doctor's words.

"Umm..well.but.what has that got to do with it?!", blubbered the woman, very
very embarassed, while putting her hand behind her neck.

 The woman  sighed, while looking stealthily  at a very very embarassed
Colonel Katsuragi, trying to camouflage her shame, laughing nervously.

Misato recovered herself finally, and returned to silence "Wait a moment,
Ritchan! Didn't you always believe  that Rei was sterile?" asked Misato,
confused.

 Ritsuko, very calmly, started again to sip her tea "We were wrong",
answered, while  moving the tea cup away from her lips.

" You were wrong?!?", exclaimed Misato, while drinking her tea cup  which
was starting to get cold. "How did it happen that you ignored this kind of
thing!?" answered Misato, still surprised for  Ritsuko's fault.

The woman became thoughtful, while her gaze became lost in the void. "Well,
it was not a real error, exactly. After all,  Gendo did not care if Rei was
fertile or not, so we never did tests in confirmation of Rei's
sterility...it was one of the many points completely insignificant to him.
That girl should have lived only until she had finished being useful for
him.", she answered, with her tone  expressing her regret and sorrow about
the horrific projects involving Rei, which she had taken part in the past.

 Misato's expression darkened too, thinking again to their past, then she
looked away from her friend, and tried not to express her regret to Ritsuko
."Those two have gone through some much to  find happiness .....", answered
Colonel Katsuragi, while looking at her daughter Akane playing happily with
Tomoyo , sitting down on the floor, not so distant from them, totally
oblivious to the situation.

Doctor Akagi nodded  , then went on thinking again of her past, and of
Misato's also, and of many other persons.

Misato put a hand over her thoughtful friend's shoulder ..that gesture
dispersed her thoughts, she lifted her head and looked in the eye of the
person who stood by her side, and was smiling sweetly.

"Give up...let's not think anymore of all those unpleasant things that
happened in the past. It's all water under the bridge.now we all are happy.
Forget  those horrible adventures you had with a man who isn't worth being
mentioned .Now you've got a husband and a daughter who love you, and that is
the most important thing." said Misato, in a sweet and quiet tone of voice.

Ritsuko nodded and smiled " You're right. Thanks, Misato-chan.". So saying,
she turned and looked at the picture framed, standing near the dresser. It
portrayed her and Yukito at their weddings, then looked away from it, and
came back talking with her friends. " And you, with Kaji? It has been a
while since you talked to me about him!"

Misato leaned her elbows upon the table, interwined her fingers, and leaned
her chin over them. "mmm.Kaji is often very busy with his work , these days,
and is coming back home very late!" answered  Misato, in a bored tone of
voice.

"I see...well, the work of an investigating agent calls for a lot of
dedication", answered the woman.

"Yeah, that's right! At least, every time he comes back home, he could
pretend to like my curry-rice!!! Instead, every time he comes back home and
had heard that I had prepared my specialty he always takes me out for
dinner!!! ."answered Misato, with a annoyed and sad tone.

"Poor man, I think I know the reason for him doing this, exclaimed Ritsuko,
who  knew well the  'delicious' dishes  Misato was used to preparing

"What are you insinuating?!!?  ..that I'm hopeless at cooking!?!?" yelled an
angry Misato.

"No, no.." Ritsuko stretched her arms forward, in order to avoid an ambush
from Misato, who usually became furious when people  insinuated that she was
hopeless at cooking.

"Ggggggrrrrrrr!!!!!!! "

Some days after...

Shinji kissed Rei standing at their home's door, as she used to do, At the
end of the kiss, Shinji looked in Rei's eyes, smiling.

"See you later, my love.", said Shinji, sweetly.

The young woman nodded and blushed slightly, while she caressed her stomach
with a hand.

Shinji moved his eyes to her and stayed looking at it "They'll be two",
murmured in a sweet voice.

Rei bowed her head over her stomach, "Yes..."

"I could have never believed I'd have become father of  twins.", said Shinji
sincerely.

Rei shook her head "Me too.. I'd have never imagined."

"It'll be wonderful, we four together, Rei-chan." , went on the man, coming
back to look in the eyes his young bride.

"Shinji." murmured Rei, lifting her eyes to Shinji

The two lovers were in the point of heading nearer to kissing each other
again,
all at once, in order to waste that magic moment, Colonel Katsuragi jumped
at Shinji's shoulders, and made the poor man jump for his life, while Rei
drew back astonished.

"HEYYY!!!!!!!YOU LITTLE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!FINALLY WE SUCCEED IN TALKING
*GRIN*", yelled Colonel  Katsuragi, literally jumping to the neck of
the new Vice Commander Ikari, in a very malicious tone.

"WAaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!.Mi.Mi..Misat..ehm..Colonel Katsuragi!!!What are you
doing!?!?

"Co.colonel Katsuragi." whispered Rei, terror in her voice.   "Colonel
Katsuragi?!?" , kept on Shinji , with a scared tone.

 "GIVE UPPPPPPPPP!!  You know very well what I want to say!?!? Don't you,
Reichan!?!?", asked  Misato, turning to Rei

Rei was surprised  by this  Misato's words, and , with some astonishment,
answered "Me?"

Misato laughed, released Shinji from her grip, and then drew nearer to Rei

".then Rei-chan , you're  expecting little babies, aren't you???" ,
whispered Misato, while raising an eyebrow, in a sinister way, and laughing
.

 Rei's cheeks blushed  , she smiled and then nodded, while Shinji , at
Misato's shoulders, started sweating cold, while her face  became purple
more than a mature tomato's pulp.

Misato smiled at Rei sweetly, took her hands, and started stirring them with
hers own. "Congratulations  then, Reichan!!  I'm really very happy for you
two!!  I'm looking forward for your babies' birth !! And I hope for you that
they won't be like Akane, because you'll end up to the mental hospital,
otherwise !!",exclaimed ironically Misato, in a happy and lighthearted tone.

"BUT WHAT DO YOU SAY!!! " , said Akane , snapped while frowning her eyebrows
and folding her arms..

"Th..thanks, Missis Misato." answered Rei, with an enormous. sweatdrop over
her forehead.

Misato smiled again like an angel, then resumed her menacing glare, and
turned to  Shinji

"Eheh..as  regards us, Shin-chan.", whispered, while  Shinji kept on being
in a cold sweat, and drew back slowly.

Misato  approached Shinji, running to him "Then, my dear future Daddy.. soon
you'll have two twins.. eeeeh???" Misato answered,  taking up  a really
scaring tone again.

 Shinji's sweat was over and over copious over his forehead.there were
sweatdrops  "Yes.yes...It's..it's..this..this way..really..." *good Lord!
when Misato behaves this way, remembers me of Asuka!!* thought the boy,
while remembering all the 'gentle' sentences which  Asuka used to tell him,
when they both were under Misato's guardianship.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! It looked so impossible to me ..I couldn't believe my shy
Shin-chan is in the point of becoming father!", exclaimed Misato, arm in arm
with the young man, while ruffling his hair with her other hand.

" Well done, Shin-chan!! You're not at all that of a shy boy!!! I could have
never bet you'd have become a father, because of your shyness!!" kept on the
woman, while  Akane went on jumping around her, begging : "IN Your ARRms !!
In Your ARRms!! Mummy!! Take me in your armssss!!"

Shinji blushed shily , while trying to camouflage his flush, and the same
Rei, who smiled , looking at  Misato playing tricks over Shinji, this way.
Finally Misato took her arm away from the young boy's neck, and indulged
Akane, taking her daughter in her own arms.

*Maybe I should thank Akane-chan ...* thought Shinji, while trying with a
hand to arrange his hair, which Misato had ruffled completely

Misato stopped to speak ironically over the situation, and smiling sweetly
kept on talking " Anyway, be happy, guys! " exclaimed Misato, while Akane
put her hand over her mother's shoulders.

Shinji and Rei looked at Misato surprised.after all the irony of before,
they didn't expect to look at Misato talking seriously all at once.Their
expressions sweetened , finally  "Misato.", whispered Shinji

Misato smiled once again "Now I got to go to the Base! And you' d better go
too,  Shinchan ! If you don't know, it's  8:10, and I guess you lost the
bus! ", went on Misato

Shinji tore his head out "Oh my god! The car's still being fixed! "

"After the last time. When Kensuke crashed into you from behind" Rei
answered,  thinking again about  Kensuke's odd adventures, when he tried to
drive a car the first time.

"Yeah ..."

"Come on ,now! I'll give you  a lift, if you want, we're going to the same
place!" answered Misato

"Yes!!  But the small seat is mine!!" answered Akane

"Ok! " answered  Shinji, sighing  "Then see you later, My beloved! "
answered Shinji, saying goodbye to Rei.

" See you later.!" answered Rei, while closing the door behind her  , still
smiling at Misato's words
The young woman leaned her back against the door she had closed, and looked
towards the ceiling, with a smile on her face. *People are surprised that
Shinji and I will going to have twins soon...after all, I was surprised too
.I'd have never expected it ..now I'm scared, really.. what are  little
children like? I have never lived a real childhood.. I remember only this
one thing of my childhood....*The young woman's expression darkened, for
recalling a chunk of the season one could have considered her infancy...even
if she had lived it in an another body

*FLASHBACK*

"It's not fair to call a person an "old hag"! When Commander Ikari will come
back, I'll make him scold  you!" , exclaimed  Dr. Naoko Akagi, while trying
to keep a calm demeanour in front of those offences, pronounced by a  six
year child, standing before her at that very moment.

"It was Commander Ikari calling you so. That old hag.that useless hag, that
old hag is only a  burden. That  useless hag.., that old hag is  only a
burden...'

SHUT UP!!!SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!." The woman yelled, while
gripping the child's neck with force, until the little

Rei breathed her last. After that, she left her fall on the floor,
spasmodically.

"Rei...you're the real useless hag.. even if you die, you're expendable"

*END OF FLASHBACK*

On the young woman's face, a tear slid slowly, her bang covering her eyes .

... after all....it was the only Moment of her infancy...and it had not been
that good, of course..

"Meaaaaaooww...", mewed Hoshi, the white cat Shinji had presented to Rei for
her birthday, some month ago. She rubbed herself against Rei's ankles,
making her forget of the train of bad thoughts wrapping her in that moment.

The little cat succeeded in her purpose of diverting the young woman . .
infact she bent down to the cat.. "Hoshi-chan, what's up? " asked Rei,
caressing her back
with his left.

"Prrrrrr.*strush*.meaaaaaawwwww..." the little cat let her be caressed with
pleasure by Rei, while starting to purr.. Sometime after, the cat went away
slightly, keeping on mewing , then she turned to Rei, as if she was inviting
Rei to follow her.

Rei undrestood it and followed her slowly." Where are you bringing me,
Hoshi?.", Rei answered made curious by the strange behaviour of the cat..
Hoshi took Rei to the upper floor, through the inner stair which Shinji,
Kensuke and Toji had built some month before their wedding.At the upper
floor, they had also set Hoshi's bed. In fact the cat was coming into the
living room where she had her bed, always keeping on inviting Rei to follow
herself.

The cat  drew nearer slowly, and when she arrived in front of the bed, she
stopped for a moment, and turned by the other side, looked at Rei and
meowed one more time.

Rei drew nearer and saw a little paw of cat , popping out of the bed, and  a
slight mewing coming from inside of it.

"But what.." the girl looked inside of the basket. It couldn't be Faye,
their Maremma sheepdog, which oddly lived in perfect harmony with Hoshi. He
was too big  , he get into  Hoshi' s basket, so she leaned more to it, and
finally could look at its content.  Three tiny kittens. A black one, a white
one, and a white one with black spots, all sleeping inside of it.

"Meow! ", meowed Hoshi, while she came into the basket and kept on licking
the little cats inside of it.

Rei took one of them in her hand, it was so little that it  fit perfectly
with her hand
"But these are kittens.", said while  skimming with the other hand the  face
of the little cat she had taken. Then she looked at Hoshi "Are these your
babies, Hoshi?" asked Rei  confused, as if Hoshi could understand her words.

"Meow.", mewed the cat, looking at  Rei, as if she had really understood
what the girl had only just told her.

Rei smiled and looked again the little cat in her hand , it was sleeping,
its little eyes still closed, so little.
Sometimes it moved her mouth in order to mew slightly, then it closed it
again.

"Meeeowww.", recalled Hoshi,  lifting her paw towards Rei , as if she was
trying to make  Rei  understand that she wanted her kitten back..

Rei placed the little kitten inside of the bed together with the other two
kittens which were sleeping, and the mother came into the bed , trying with
her little paws not to  tread on the two other  kittens, and perched in the
middle, keeping on licking them slowly.

Rei sat down on the floor, Indian style, and stayed there to stare at the
scene, smiling.

 *Who knows if my babies will be as little as they are.* , thought the girl
while she also was  caressing an other asleep cat with her right hand.

*Who knows if Hoshi was already ready to become a mother. after all, she is
only a cat,
she had not minded so much of it, for sure. She didn't have a happy infancy
either, because when Shinji brought her, he told me that he found her,
abandoned  inside of a little canvas bag next to a dustbin.
But she now was giving an happy infancy to her kittens. She has not allowed
the anguish overcome her, she was not scared by not knowing
how to make her  kittens grow. She did it, that's all.. As I should do it
too.... It is no that difficult: giving them love it's enough . Until some
years ago, I didn't know the meaning of this word, but since Shinji came
into my life, I needn't  any explanation..I've understood it all alone. As
Hoshi's doing in this moment. .Hoshi is protective of her kittens. Even if
she knows who I am by now, she didn't let me keep her kitten in my hands so
long. Why? Is this the behaviour a mother should  have?."
Rei lifted up on her feet, when she listened at a mewing coming  from the
windowsill of the room, which  stretched out beside of one of the many
cherry-trees which  were all around the home, and saw a little cat all in
black, sat down  elegantly, with a proud and resolute glare, on the
windowsill "Meowww" , meowed, still  swinging slowly the tail.
Rei looked at the cat a little surprised.  I had never seen him before now.
Then she looked at Hoshi , who as soon as she saw the cat, moved away from
the kittens, and  with a leap,   jumped over the windowsill , where the cat
stood, and she became to rub herself against him.

Then Rei understood that, probably, that black cat was Hoshi's fiancee, and
the father of the three kittens which, the same night,  Hoshi had given
birth to.

The girl smiled looking at the scene *How pretty they are...and so Hoshi
also settled down?. She found happiness together with that cat, and had
three kittens. I found happiness with my  Shinji too...and soon we'll have
two little ones. By now, I think I could  get off with my role of mother,
but , just like Hoshi, only if there'll be Shinji besides me. My first and
only love.*



In the meanwhile.

Shinji was still in the car together with Misato and Akane.

Shinji was sat down on the passenger's seat,  next to Misato who, as a rule,
was the one driving. . There was silence into the car ,and the  Nerv was
still distant.
 Strangely, neither the  shrill and cheeky voice of Akane were audible, this
one thing surprised her mother too. So, while she was driving her car,
turned her gaze to the rear-view mirror, reflecting the
back seat, and she saw her little Akane, who had  fallen asleep over her
car child's chair. Misato smiled.

"What a miracle! She felt asleep!" , exclaimed  Misato quietly, trying not
to  raise her voice tone more than
normal, in order to avoid a similar miracle could be violated.

Shinji was caught unaware  "And? What..?", then he thought again about last
Misato's sentence, and understood the sense of it,  then turned and looked
at  Akane-chan sleeping .Shinji
remained fixed to her  , and then he also smiled, being moved by the  little
pest's figure which in that moment looked like a little Angel. In the good
sense of the term, of course.

Misato smiled again, while not looking away from the road.
"When Akane-chan 's asleep it's hard to believe she's such a pest being
awaken, don't you think, Shin-chan?",   Misato asked Shinji, while keeping
on casting glances to the rear-view mirror.

Shinji nodded, while coming back to sit down on his seat sedately "Yes, it's
true. But she's a happy and thoughtless child after all. It's  normal she is
so lively when she's awake.", answered Shinji.

"mmm! Not bad! Are you inquiring about  the subject 'children', aren't you,
Shinchan? ", answered  Misato ironically.

At these words from Colonel Katsuragi, his  former-guardian, the  24 years
old boy smiled,  trying not to become sad, then he shook his head:
"No. This very thing isn't so. I know very very few things about it", he
said, almost reproaching himself.

Misato was keeping on looking at the road. this behave of his had not
changed at all, she tought. And after all, neither the same Shinji had
changed. Even if the boy was happy now, had everything he could have
desired, his insecurity in facing a new situation had not changed at all.
And Misato, who could really affirm she had brought Shinji up by herself,
was aware of it.

"Are you scared to become father, aren't you, Shin-chan?" asked the woman in
a sweet but deep and resolute tone of voice.

The boy bent his head as he was used to do, when a problem harassed him.
"What's more..I'm scared I'm not  up to it.I'm afraid I couldn't be a good
father for my children....and I could disappoint Rei, this way.", answered
Shinji.

Misato kept on looking at the road, but one could have argued from her
glance, that she was paying attention to Shinji , and that the discussion
she was having with him , was important for her "Shin-chan, you shouldn't
reproach yourself this way . It's normal that you be scared in this
situation, it's  so  foreign to you. That's an emotion you've never felt
before", Misato said with her sweet as ever tone of voice.

Shinji looked straight into Misato's eyes, listening carefully to her words
in silence.

" Look at me for example. When I knew I was expecting Akane, my mind was
filled of a lot of thoughts and sensations, but at the same time, of a lot
of fears. Yes, of course, I was happy to the idea of becoming mother, of
having a daughter all for me and of finally living  of what could have been
called Happiness together with her and  Kaji,  the man I love.  But my
biggest fear was that I could have never been able to become a good mother
for  Akane. About Kaji' s part, I had no doubt he knows how to do with
children! But I was scared not to be able to give her love, affection, and
all the rest.and believe me, it was not that simple convincing myself  to be
a good mother.I kept all inside of myself!
I didn't want  anybody knew  about this  weakness of mine!  I bought
everyday dozens of books about motherhood, and child education,  and I tried
even to learn whole chapters of them, in order to be able of behave properly
when my daughter will have born. But then , when
Akane was born, it was like all of those lines had been erased from my mind,
thrown out like rubbish Something inside of me told me: 'It's no use you
follow all the instructions of those books, you
already know everything! You know how to act!' And it was the truth! It was
as if I already knew how to behave with  Akane, since the first time I saw
it ! All at once, all my fears faded away, and were replaced from the strong
believing that the one I had in front of me was my daughter, whom I will
have been able to give all that a mother could give to a daughter."

Shinji stayed astonished, listening at Misato  speaking so sincerely about
her private life. He had always seen  Misato as a strong and brave woman,
without any doubt or fear, as when she decided to take charge of him, ten
years ago, so resolutely, without thinking again of it more times. He had
always seen in her the motherly figure which had been taken away from him,
when he was still in his most tender age.  Then, when Akane was born, who
better than her could have taken care of a daughter ? She could look at
herself almost like at an expert of the matter , even before  Akane's birth
, because she had been the one who gave Shinji maternal affection when he
also was little more than a child.
He could have never imagined   that Misato also could have some doubts and
insecurities . The thing had left him very perplexed.

"Are you really, Misato?..", asked Shinji,  inconsciously.

Misato nodded smiling "Sure, Shinji. It has been the same for me. What you'
re feeling in this moment, I already felt it too. I understand you
perfectly, sweety.", answered Misato, while coming back to look at the
back-view mirror, showing her sleeping little child.
Shinji  couldn't help being surprised by Misato's words . And to think that
he had been many times together with   Misato and Kaji, during the period of
pregnancy, but Misato didn't look worried at all, on the contrary , she was
vivacious and happy as ever ! She didn't look being scared of the situation.
She was rather good at hiding her fears and weaknesses, in front of the
other persons, during the period of pregnancy.

"I bet Rei also doesn't look worried to your eyes that much for the
situation, on the contrary she faces the thing with a smile,  isn't this so,
Shin-chan?"

Shinji nodded promptly, and smiled thinking of her young wife."Rei is really
an exceptional girl.I whis I had at least half of her courage. After all,
she is the one who holds our children in her womb. Then the situation should
be more complex for her than for any other person, in this moment.. She's
instead facing the situation holding her head high, proud and resolute"

"No, Shinchan."Misato interrupted firmly Shinji's talking.

Shinji turned surprised to look at Misato's face, in order to understand the
reason why she had denied Shinji's affirmation.

"It's not like it seems,, Shinji.Rei's not facing the situation proudly
resolute as she is letting you think .", the woman kept on, steering left.

"What do you mean, Colonel Katsuragi?", Shinji answered, confused by
Misato's words.

"Rei is in your same situation, Shinchan. On the contrary....Rei is for sure
much more scared and feared than you.", answered Misato quickly, as if she
already knew what she had to answer to.




Shinji's face was amidst confusion and surprise. What did Colonel Katsuragi
want to say with this affirmation of hers ? Was it possible that Rei was
really scared of the situation too, and she was trying to hide all inside
her behind very sweet thoughts and emotions , which she used to express,
when she talked about that subject .?

Misato  shook her head , smiling to herself "Oh Shin-chan. How similar we
two are.", murmured the
woman again.
"In which sense?" , answered the boy, still far from understanding Misato's
affirmations'sense.

"When I  was attacked from this fears too,  during the pregnancy, I used
very often to have a confrontation with Kaji , the day I told him I was
pregnant , and soon we'll have had a child, he run into a shop of
childcare-items, and spent more than 20000 yen, buying things such  an high
chair, a cradle  , a pram, toys, clothes for children, and all the rest. To
my eyes, that man was the ideal  father. He never lost the occasion to tell
me that I had made him the happiest man in the world. I admired him a lot .
I admired his proud and resolute disposition, all the contrary of mine in
that moment. But he didn't know of my fears, neither I knew of his."

"Does it mean  Kaji was  also really scared , but he did everything in order
not to make  you become aware of it?"  The boy asked, keeping on
understanding the meaning of Misato's biographical account , and  also
started to understand what Misato was referring to "Then.. maybe Rei also is
trying to hide her fears in front of me ?" Shinji kept on again.

Misato nodded "I'm sure of it, Shin-chan. It's this way.Rei' s behaving
exactly like you. And the reason is the same: she doesn't want to disappoint
you! She's scared like you are, and that if she made you be aware of her
fears, you'd be  disappointed by it , and you'd think that she's not able to
cover the role of mother which will be up to her."

" But  Rei knows that she could never disappoint me!!", exclaimed the boy ,
confused by Misato's ideas.

"I know, but Rei doesn't want to run that risk! She loves you too much.",
answered Misato, going on with their reassuring and sweet tone.

"Eh?" Shinji felt more and more confused, he had never thought about a
version of the facts like this one.

"Exactly, Shin-chan. She trusts in you so much , and wants you too keep on
trusting her.
She's aware you're so happy she got pregnant, so  bringing it to an end has
become a goal to reach, and only when your children'll have been born, when
your pregnancy period will have come to an end, and  you two will become a
father and a mother, she will believe she 'll have crossed  the goal-line.
All this, giving you happiness, is so important for her. Shin-chan,she's not
even  aware of it, probably,  but she's doing everything in order to make
you happy. Nevertheless,  she feels frightened, thinking of going through
this route, just like you feels, like I felt and Kaji felt, and just like it
frightened all those have had children. .And it's right it's all this way.
It shows you and  Rei wish the better for your children."

Shinji listened carefully at the things Misato had told him. The woman's
words kept on echoing in his mind, over and over, he was reflecting about
each of them, trying to discover their true meaning. The realities  were
reflected perfectly by Misato's words. Her reasoning was flawless, it was
the perfect answer to the questions he had been wondering about for many
days long.

Without Shinji being aware of it, time had passed, so quick that they had
arrived at Nerv's parking right then; he realized it when Misato braked
suddenly, then  she parked the car in her strange way: it all took his
attention off of  Misato's last words,  and made him come back to Earth.

"Aaaaaaaahh!!" exclaimed the young man,  caught unaware by her
former-guardian's  terrible way of parking.

 Finally Misato looked away from the road , and looked at Shinji astonished.
"What's wrong, Shin-chan!?! Don't tell me you've already given up the habit
of appreciating my driving style, haven't you!?" said Misato, smiling.

Shinji, still agitated, breathed a sigh of relief "Yes. I guess I'm no more
accustomed to it." Then he thought to Akane, and turned suddenly, imagining
the poor child had awaken because of the rough manouvre; instead she was
living in  dreamers country, heavenly, she had only restricted herself to
turning her tiny face by the other side . Shinji stood amazed at looking at
the child still sleeping.

Misato didn't mind of it, as it seemed, opened the car's door, taking off
the safety-belt, which Shinji did by his turn "Here we are at work, again!"
exclaimed  Misato in a resigned air, it was same all daily- routine, she had
always taken philosophically.

Misato and Shinji went off the car, then the woman drew near to the car's
door,  she opened it, and seated  on the back seat, staying sideways and
leaving her legs out of the car's . Then she stretched her arms towards her
daughter Akane,
and  slowly started to undo the belts which were keeping her little on still
on the little seat, finally, making an effort in doing it silently in order
not to wake up her, she took her  in her arms, making her to lean her hand
over her shoulder, while closing with a kick the  back door of the car.

"Fiuuuuu.she has not waken up luckily!", said Misato, noticing  Akane's
slight movements  during the sleep, while the child grabbed her mother's
neck.

"If she' d have woken up, she'd have started again to play up; she has slept
a little this night."said Misato, leaning the other hand over Akane' back,
then she yawned "ME Toooooo*Yaaaawnnnnn* ..."

Shinji laughed "Why do you take her at work, Colonel Katsuragi?", answered
Shinji, noticing how fatiguing was for Misato face up Akane at work too. "

"Parents who work in the morning usually send their sons to the
kindergarden, until they reach the age for going to school", went on the
young man.

Misato smiled, keeping on walking with Shinji over the conveyoer belt inside
the Geo Front

"I tried to send her to the kindergarden some time ago, but she cried
desperately, once I crossed the threshol. And I didn't like looking at her
smiling this way. I suffered more than her.", Misato answered, in a sweet
tone.

"I see, it has to be a torture, look at one's own sons crying, isn't it,
Colonel Katsuragi?" Shinji answered *Well..my father, as far as I know,
doesn't feel this way..*thought the young man , sadly, while remembering
again the moment when his father forseek him at the station, when he was at
the age of four.

Misato nodded "If there's something I don't suffer at all is to see her
crying .Then I decided to bring her at work everyday. After all, she doesn't
make troubles, I always succeed in keeping her busy with someon or
something..", went on the woman, while making her ID card pass through the
slit . Shinji did the same. They had arrived at Central Dogma..


Shinji though again over Misato's words. She had become really a good
mother, she loved her daughter very much, even if she still were the same
Misato as ever , lazy and bungler, and always very attached to beer,
nevertheless she had become a really responsible mother . As it seemed,
nobody had teach her how to do it .She hadn't attended at any course on
education, in order to become a mother, and,  as regards  all those notions
she had been learning from many  books about motherhood , they  had turned
out useless after all , as she herself had
said. Therefore, in order to become parents, no particular education was
needed. Most of it was based on instinct.

When the conveyer belt, going through  the mazes of Geo Front, finally
arrived at their destination, Shinji and Misato parted ways  from necessity,
because their jobs were placed in opposite directions.

"Now I've got to go that way, Shin-chan. See you then, Honey"
Misato said, standing still for a while, before setting out for one of the
labyrinth-like corridors across the area of  Central Dogma.

"Well. Good work, Colonel Katsuragi! See you then...and.. thanks for all..",
answered Shinji shyly, trying to keep a formal tone, while talking to her
former guardian. It was difficult to speak so formally to the person who had
brought him up many years long . By now, he was no more a fourteen year old
boy. Now he also was an adult, who will have become a father soon.

Misato smiled  "Give it up. How long must we go on this way?
Stop all this formality, Shin-chan! You're treating me as if I was an
extraneous person!", said Misato in a joking tone, pretending to be  annoyed
by Shinji's formality.

The young man blushed, ashamed "So..sorry.", he whispered in a very low
voice, while lowering his eyes.


Misato knew  Shinji too well , by now. Even if ten years had gone by, since
she  decided to take charge of him, in order to pull him away from loliness'
arms, still he didn't look any different to her. He had remained her little
and shy boy.. She was aware of the reason why the young man persisted in not
being of first-name terms, talking with her. By now she could intuit his
thoughts perfectly.

Misato smiled at the embarassed Shinji, who took heart seeing the Colonel's
smile, and returned with his own.  After it, both of them turned at the same
time, heading towards opposite directions.


*You're good as you are, Shin-chan. There's nothing you have to change in
yourself, so that you could become a good father.* Misato thought to
herself, while walking long the corridor that should have leaded her to the
lift, very soon.

*Misato had been scared, Kaji had been scared. But anyone overcame this
moment. Why must I feel so unprepared , even after having heard  of their
experience? I'm so scared." Shinji's thoughts weren't giving him  a moment's
respite..He was still scared, in spite of Misato's words.
He was frightened, and was keeping on believing that no testimony in the
world could have calmed his worried soul. It all was only about  him and
Rei...all the rest was outer, too outer, in a similar predicament....
The sliding door of the lift  in the west wing of  Nerv opened slowly when
the elevator stopped at the tenth floor. When they were fully opened, the
young man inhaled deeply, showing clearly the angst which was enveloping
him, little by little...So he made a step forward, almost mechanically, and
went out of the lift, whose doors closed immediately, once he was outside of
it. The young man looked all around the corridor...there was no one
....anyone was busy with their daily jobs,  rather than wandering around the
corridors of Nerv...maybe it would be better for him doing the same..
His Job could have been a good diversion, taking his attention off the
thought which was becoming a kind of obsession for him. So he made his way
towards the main area of the Base. Nevertheless, once he went around the
corner,  he didn't notice a little 'obstacle' who was to meet him in his
way, so the brand new  vice-commander of Nerv, without having either time to
understand what was happening, stumbled and found himself staggering forward
and backward, before  prima di ruzzolare in avanti tumbling forward, with a
big slam which echoed along the whole corridor

"Ouch...ouch...." Shinji whispered, while trying to sit down on the floor,
with a hand over his head "What a bang,,.what....", the young had not even
the time to wonder what he had bumped into, since he heard a shocked
crying, coming from a child behind his shoulders.

*But..what's up!?.*the young man thought,  suddenly turning to stare at the
place where the crying was coming from. . He was struck from by he saw.
Behind his shoulders, there was a child,  crouched on the floor; at a first
glance, one could have argued that he was not yet  a year old:
he was crying desperate, holding tightly his little hurting hand, which was
the cause of his weeping. Then  Shinji understood everything, understood
that his child was nothing but the 'obstacle' which he had stumbled over.
Maybe Shinji had trodden over the child's hand , unintentionally, while
falling down.

"Waaaaaaaahaaaaaa!!", the child was still moaning, tears going by from his
childish face, more and more.

"Fu.Fuu-Tien." Shinji whispered , still incredulous for what had happened.

The child, turned to Shinji's call, having recognized his own name; but it
wasn't enough to stop him crying . On the contrary it was increasing beyond
any limit, while showing his hurt hand.

Shinji kept on feeling very guilty  "Oh  my, look at what I did this time!!"
Shinji exclaimed, while getting up again on his feet, quickly; then he
headed nearer to the boy, taking him in his own arms.

"Oh Fuu-chan. I'm so sorry.. .I wouldn't ! Sorry!!" the young man said,
while wiping away  tears of Fuu-chan's face , with a napkin which he quickly
took out of his jacket..
The child, obviously , was too little to understand  Shinji's words; and
even if he had grasped their meaning, they wouldn't have been that useful to
calm the pain of his hand. The more Shinji looked at that child weeping, the
more he (sentiva) his heart heavy with feeling of guilt. By then he was
grasping what Misato wanted to say, when she said she couldn't suffer the
sight of Akane crying, most of all, when she knew she was the reason of her
weeping
He didn't know how to behave. "As I thought, I'm not a good model of
 father.", whispered Shinji in a low voice, almost being ironic over
himself. The young man looked around him, looking for someone who could have
helped him; he had never been in such a situation, it was not the best he
could think of. He wished he could cut it off .But there was no one walking
along the corridor, and little  Fuu-Tien didn't look like calming down at
all;  on the contrary, he was screaming over and over.

"Well..calm down!." Shinji begged the child, while trying to rocking him to
make him stop crying. If someone had passed by there. how embarassing!! A
future father who can't even make such a little child stop weeping . In that
moment , Shinji was awfully embarassed. He was ashamed for ignoring such an
elementary thing.
If he hadn't been  able to calm down one single child, how could he have
managed to reassure his own children, who will even  have been two?
Shinji was caught by deep rage, he was almost hating himself.  Just before,
because of his absent-mindedness, he had made a child being hurt.   A poor
child who, probably, had got lost inside of the huge Nerv Base..And then ,
he couldn't even  reassure him! He was ashamed of himself, that moment.
Nevertheless, he understood the situation couldn't  have gone on that way.
He ought change it !He was no more a little boy! By now, he was almost
twenty five. He was adult enough, to be able to face  up to difficulties !
So, he took the child hand with his, all at once, and gave a  quick look at
it, becoming aware that, luckily, it didn't look like it was broken; it was
only a little reddened. But it had to be unbearable for such a little child,
as Fuu-tien.
The young man smiled at the child, looking at him with those eyes filled
with tears; then he leaned him over his own shoulder, and kept on caressing
his back. "Shhh. Don't cry anymore.. we shall go to the bathroom, right now,
and then we'll wash your tiny hand. You'll see, the pain will be over.",
Shinji whispered to the child, carrying him to the nearest bathroom.


"Hey!! Misato!! Take look at this!!" , doctor  Akagi exclaimed, astonished,
while getting up in front of a gossip-magazine, which looked like bringing
some very interesting news.

"mmmm..", Misato groaned, dozing, with her arms folded over the
writing-desk, her head leaned over them

"Misato ?!.what are you doing !?  Are you sleeping!?",  Ritsuko said,
amused, while shaking with her arm  Misato's shoulder, without taking her
eyes off the magazine.

Misato  lifted her head up from the table, yawning slowly "Yaaaaaawnnn..
What's happened,  Ritsuko!? "

"Hey! You know, if Commander Ikari passed by here, and found you shirking at
work, he wouldn't let you  get away with it, for sure!" , Ritsuko answered
ironically.

"mmm.. you're right , but I'm ready to drop. Last Akane didn't let me sleep
a wink.",  Misato kept on by her turn, while making an effort to keep her
eyes opened.

"Something like: 'Mommy, would you tell me a story?' ", Ritsuko answered,
being aware of  Akane's typical whims  .

Misato shook her head "Nope.Something like: 'Mommy, I've got a stomachache.'
The next time I will see Kaji giving so much watermelon to Akane I swear I'
ll make him pay for it! I spent a sleepless night because of that!! "

" Ritsuko burst out laughing  "Actually, you're really going too far with
all that watermelon  these days! "

"Yup....Well... What are the bomb-news!? " Misato said, rubbing her eyes,
while yawning once again.

"Look at who's on the first page today!!",Ritsuko  said, handing the
magazine to Misato.

Misato looked at it , absentmindedly, casting a glance to the photographies
which were  impressed over the paper "Look at it! Here is  Asuka! What's
with it!?It's not the first time she appears on a magazine! She is so
popular!", the Colonel answered, handing the magazine to the friend, again.

"Yes, but this time she has not appeared on the newspapers, in order to show
off some other fashionable dress.", Ritsuko answered, without taking the
magazine back from Misato's hand.

"What do you want to say!?", answered Colonel Katsuragi, surprised.

"Read the first lines!", Ritsuko answered.

Misato brang again in front of herself the page of the magazine, which
showed Asuka's photographs, and took a closer look, to read the captions
near to the pictures, in a loud voice. "Well....Asuka Soryuu Langley, 24
years, who has just made a name of herself in the high fashion world-wide ,
finally, after having broken million and million boys' hearts, has succedeed
to find the man of her life!.He's a young conjurer half briish
half-japanese, Eriol Hiiragisawa, 22 years hold; she knew him during her
last trip to United Kingdom, for her last photographic service. The news was
a big scoop, all around Europe and Asia, particularry in Germany and Japan!

Because of the nationality of the top-model,half German and half Japanese.."
Misato stopped for a moment, and then looked at Ritsuko

"Well, looked at it...Asuka found an other decrepit man, ready to run after
her...If I think again how she made that poor guy Isamu suffer..(*).And, in
my opinion, the
same will happen with the little magician, here.. Eriol Hiragisawa." Misato
said, not at all surprised by the news, as if something like this had become
an object in everyday use.

"Eh no!." Ritsuko answered  "This time Asuka says she is serious..Read the
second caption!"

Misato turned the page slowly "Yes. Yes.The last time she said this way, we
saw  poor  desperate Isamu in tears for days and days. Asuka  likes to
break the frail and naive boys' heart. I can remember when she even tried
with Shinji."

"..Don't you remember when she tried with Kaji!? ", Ritsuko teased her,
being aware that subject flied Misato into a rage

" NO!!  I don't remember of that, really!! And I won't you remember me of
it, understood!? ", Misato yelled, lifting up all at once from the writing
desk, and  beating her hands against it for rage

"How  touchy you are..." I was only joking." Ritsuko answered, while
gesturing to Misato to calmd down

Misato came back to sit down, and started again to read the magazine.  "The
news made even the biggest Fashion-House stay astonished; how is it possible
that Asuka preferred a simple conjurer, and even younger than her of two
years, rather than numbers of admirers who tried to catch her, being  much
more famous than the English magician?! The stubborn model answered to the
question this way:  ' Eriol and me have been chosen by destiny! He's worth
of me, and I'm worth of him! Is he younger than me!? Are you stupid!? Wouldn
't you admit I knew a lot of people in my brilliant life! And I can ensure
you that  Eriol is the first boy I know who shows me to be a real man!!
Incredible that he has Japanese origins !! Japanese boys are totally stupid,
without any morals!! I can say it for sure, because of my past experiences!"

" Asuka is resolute, isn't she!?" ,Ritsuko asked, turning to  Misato

Misato nodded, without looking away from the magazine, which looked really
interesting
"You can say it for sur..WHATTTT!?!!?",  Misato  yelled literally, while
goggling, making Ritsuko jump to her feet, for fear , and letting  the paper
cup fall down of her hands; it contained the coffee which Ritusko ha already
taken by the automatic machine. Misato made  Akane to wake up with a start:
the child was still sleeping over the velvet chair.

"What's the hell! " Ritsuko said, still scared by Misato's scene.

" Ri..Ri..Ritsu..Ritsuko!!! Look at this photo!!! " Misato yelled, still
handing the newspaper to Ritsuko

"What!?  What!? ", Doctor Akagi took the magazine from Misato's hands, and
looked at the photograph which Misato pointed at.

"Read here!!", Misato said,  showing the captions.

Ritsuko kept on reading in a low voice "Latest news about the relationship
between the model and the conjurer: the photograph you can see on the right,
was the last where  our repoter succeded in immortalizing  Asuka and Eriol,
some month after the beginning of their relationship.
Four month after, to be exact. The german model  looks like being serious
involved with Eriol. Don't you also think  that she is too 'pot-bellied' in
this picture? Models usually pay a big attention to their own figure. But
now...if she has not put on weight, maybe he's a baby!?And, as chance would
have it, there's always him next to her! He's the man who is being envied
terribly by half-world in this moment: Eriol Hiiragisawa!"

Akane rubbed her eyes with a drowsy air, laying on her stomach over the
chair , and she turned by the other side, keeping on sleeping,  covering
herself better with the jacket which her mother had used as a blanket for
her daughter. She was too sleepy to start playing

"ABSURD!!;", Ritsuko exclaimed, she too shocked for the text on the
magazine, lifting up as Misato had done

"ASUKA IS PREGNANT!?!?" Misato went on, not succeding in calming her tone of
voice.

"But..maybe..maybe it's only gossip..!!.And still the picture doesn't look a
photomontage at all.. and there is the tummy!! "

Colonel Katsuragi looked at Ritsuko in her face, they both were astonished

"Yeah...There's the tummy... So Asuka is pregnant, really..."

Misato catched quickly the cordless which was next to her , and at once
typed a number "Only so we'll have an answer! We'll make her give a direct
answer to us!"

Ritsuko nodded "Right!! "

".I'm pregnant of my Pokemon Ball! ",  Akane said, turning to the  external
side of the chair, while showing the Poke-Ball-like key holder which she
kept linked to the belt of her little dress.

In the meanwhile.

Shinji held the little Fuu Tien in front of the sink, grabbing the child by
his waist, having leaned him upon the border of the sink itself, while
rinsing   Fuu-Tien's hand with cold water. By now  Fuu-Tien had stopped
crying, finally, even if he  still sobbed a little

"*Sob*...waaah... *Sob*.*Sniff*...."

"Does it still hurt a lot , Fuu-chan? "the young man answered, while
caressing the child's wrist..

The child turned his own face to Shinji, and looked at him in his eyes,
keeping on sobbing

Shinji closed the water tap, took again the little  Fuu-Tien in his arms,
then he looked at his hand.The blush looked to have passed by completely;
now the child's hand was fresh, maybe still a little stiff, because of the
fraleness of his body. But perhaps the pain had passed . Shinji put the
child over his right arm, and looked at him in his face, before leaving the
bathroom. The child stayed looking at Shinji in her face, and the image of
the child was reflected on the man's face.


"Oh, Fuu-chan. Believe me, I'm so sorry for what happened . I hope you'll be
able to forgive me " Shinji said caressing with his left Fuu-Tien' face,
still wet with tears. .The child listened at Shinji carefully. He looked
almost like he could grasp the meaning of what Shinji was telling him ,
which was impossible for a child of a few months as he was.

Shinji leaned his back against the wall, while caressing the face of the
child.

His eyes.oh my..he was so similar to his mother.
He was identical to her. Who knows whom his children would have been like
to?  "I'm not a good father..aren't it, Fuu Tien?." Shinji  said,
unconscious, while  making an effort to smile, while touching a subject so
painfull for him.

Fuu Tien kept on gazing at Shinji carefully, with a dumbfounded air. Shinji
was keeping on smiling faintly. "What do you think, Fuu-chan?."

"Ga?...", whined the child,  bringing his little hands to the face of
Shinji.Tiny hand which were soon wetted by the young man's tears, who,
without being aware of it, kept on  give vent to his own fears, which had
gathered in the young man's heart, during that period.

The child touched   curiously Shinji's hands. Shinji became aware of  the
child, only when he brought his own hands over the man's eyes, as if he were
drying his tears.

"nn...noo.", the child moaned in a sad tone, as in order to incite Shinji
not to cry.

The young man opened the eyes again, surprised by the action of the child.
Shinji
smiled, tenderly this time, and started again to caress the child's face.
"Thank you, Fuu-Chan.You're so dear."
Fuu-Tien's look became joyful , seeing  the new Vice-Commander of Nerv smile
again; then  he leaned over the young man's chest, pressing close to it.

Shinji closed his eyes. It was a pleasant sensation, to have a child
crouched to his chest. He smiled and put his hand over the child's back,
caressing it. In that very moment, he felt all the fears in his mind, which
had been hammering him day by day, fade away quickly..it was as if his heart
had started to feel them foreign, and begun to turn them away.

"Little Fuu-Tien. I don't know why, but it seems to me like you have
understood everything about me. ..I know, it's impossible, but you're the
one who gave me trust in myself..the one I had almost lost at all..and still
you're only a child of few months. Who could have said it?."

Fuu Tien rubbed his eyes, yawned, then he slowly fell asleep over the young
man's chest, with his little clenched fists, and a smile drawn over his
lips.

The young man looked at the sleeping child. He was moved again. After all,
it wasn't so difficult to be a responsible father. Maybe, it was more
difficult to be an evil father, as Gendo had been, more than being a sweet
and tender father, as he'll have been.
The young man left his thoughts, when he realized that , probably,  Fuu Tien
's parents had to be worry in that moment, for their son's absence.  Fuu
Tien couldn't walk yet, but he often crawled, and probably he had to go away
while his parents were inattentive. So it would have been better go and look
for his parents. .

Shinji took the lift, directed to the  fourth floor, where  Fuu-Tien's
parents worked usually.
It sounded strange  the child had a Chinese name, though both his parents
were Japanese.
Maybe the reason was that his father's parents were Chinese, and it was
decided to name Fuu Tien's like his grandfather, in order to honour him.
Anyway, that name fitted him perfectly.

It sounded so sweet, sweet as he was. But maybe every name is sweet, when it
's give to a child.

Once he arrived at the fourth floor, Shinji went through one of the
corridors, which will have led him to destination. In fact, the closer he
headed, the more he heard some voices, as if someone was quarreling. The
voice sounded very familiar.

"I can't believe it!!!!! How could you do it!?!?!?", the exclamation echoed
through  the corridor. The man turned the corner,  and saw in the distance
doctress Maya Ibuki, in front of the office door,  making a heavy scene with
captain Shigeru Aoba, her husband, who had stayed there to put up with her ,
trying to explain his own reasons, even if it was impossible to calm Maya's
anger

"It was not my fault, dear!!!  He was there a moment ago and I was working!!
And when I turned he had vanished !!" the poor Shigeru said defending
himself, trying to calm her.But he didn't reach his goal...

"You are a liar!!! You weren't working!!!You were playing your electric
guitar again!!Do you think I'm so stupid to believe that you were
working!!?!?!?  You can't deny it!!" Maya was really furious. Neither Maya
or
Shigeru had been aware of Shinji observing the scene, otherwise they would
have lowered their voices

"Eeeeh...emm... ehm...Maya-chan. I didn't mean it...I..." Shigeru  kept on
smiling nervous, not being able to object against Maya's truth anymore.

Maya looked at Shigeru filled with anger, then she burst out crying.

"*Sob*..I knew it!!  *Sob* It's all your fault, Shigeru!!! Because of that
damned guitar, I'll have to look for our little Fuu-Tien!!
Bwaaaaaaaahah!!!!!!Who knows where he could be, right now? You should be
ashamed of yourself, Shigeru!!  I had entrusted him to you only for an hour
!!Poor my little Fuu-chan!!  Who knows how scared he will be, in such a big
place !!! " Maya didn't know to cry or argue with Shigeru

"Ehm...Maya-chan,don't be this way! Nothing could happen to our little
Fuu-chan!! A child crawling on all fours will not be  unnoticed!!  Perhaps
someone has already found him and is bringing him to us! Or he has stopped
somewhere to play "

"STOP!!!  I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE, SHIGERU!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT,
FUU-TIEN GOT LOST!!  AND NOW YOU CANNOT MAKE EXCUSES, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!!!  UNDERSTOOD!?!?"

Before the quarrel increased, Shinji had decided to move forward and return
them the baby, explaining the situation.

"Ehm.... Excuse me..."Shinji stopped Maya and Shigeru's argument, while
slowly moving towards them.

 Both of them turned suddenly towards him, once they had heard Shinji's
voice, and Maya, imaging that Shinji had  probably watched all their scene
blushed terribly, then she first bowed, greeting in  a militar way "GOOD
MORNING SIR VICE-COMMANDER!!"

Shigeru copied Maya's gesture some moment after, clumsy "GOOD..GOOD
MORNING!!"

Shinji moved backward embarassed!  He was not used yet to be greeted in such
a formal way

"Ehm.good..good morning to you ! " , answered the man, blushing.

"Well..I have heard your argument  unintentionally and I came back to return
you your son .", Shinji said, drawing nearer and showing the child who was
still asleep.

Maya and Shigeru got up after the bow, then  they looked at their son
sleeping in the young vice-commander's arms and cheered up at once.

"Aaaah!!  Here is my little Fuu-chan!!  Thanks a lot,  Vice-Commander
Ikari!!! "  Maya  exclaimed, while running towards Shinji to take her  son
back

"Not at all... ", Shinji said, passing the baby to  Maya gently.

Maya took the baby in her arms and  hugged him thightly to her, while
Shigeru went towards her smiling, and she was petting the child's head with
her free hand.

"Please excuse me....", Shinji said, trying to explain. "I was walking and I
absent-minded stumbled over the child, who came towards me, and perhaps,
before I fell, I stepped on his hand... I merely rinsed it with fresh
water,and he looks like he's good now. I'm so sorry for this little accident
! " the man said, in a regretful tone.

"Oh, don't worry , Vice-Commander Ikari!! We ore the ones who have to excuse
ourselves. I had taken my mind off, and Fuu-chan who was playing on the
ground went away crawling, without me noticing him!  I'm sorry for having
given you troubles!" Shigeru exclaimed, keeping on caressing their son's
head.

"You're safe, Shigeru!  Thank you Shinj.ehm..the Vice-Commander for having
saved you by my anger!! " Maya said to her husband

"Ehm. yeah!  it's true! But..what do you want from me!? I'm still a beginner
as a father!" Shigeru answered, defending himself.

Shinji smiled " Say no more..it was a big pleasur for me to spend some time
with your son...he learned me a lot of things..he's really a wonderful
child.Congratulations, really!" Shinji answered, thinking again about how
many things this experience had learnt him.

"Th..thanks", Shigeru Maya chorused confused, not undrestanding what the man
was referring to.

"Now I've got to leave you.." Shinji said , bowing quickly, and observing
one more time the little Fuu-Tien who is now sleeping among her mother's
arms, before turning and going on for his way.

"Good-bye, Vice-Commnder Ikari! And thanks for all!",Shigeru answered in a
shrill tone..

Shinji walked smiling now, while heading towards the lift again. Now he had
no doubt about the possibility of being a good father. He was sure of it.
That child had given him a lesson of life. After all he had not been that
bad. .He had done the same with Rei ten years ago, when they both were
pilots, and the girl had her hand burnt , while preparing tea, and he wetted
it under the current water. .

That time, staying so near to Rei, he understood what he felt for her was
really love. And so , now, it happened the same thing with the little
Fuu-Tien. How is it possible water was so important in his life?.. Shigeru
also feels a beginner as a father..but not for this reason he's not able to
give love and affection to his baby. It was not a problem, and Shinji knew
it. By now, he was no more scared, and he was happy. He was looking forward
his child will have born. Misato was right. Fears disappear only when
someone faces them. He was sure that Rei also thought this way.....

End of Second Chapter.

*Some time ago I read an american FF of Eva, where a carachter called Isamu,
who was created by the author of the Fiction ("THE HAPPY LIFE"), fell in
love with Asuka and decided to become her boyfriend.  But I modified the
thing a little. Infact, in my FF, Asuka broke off with Isamu





*Some time ago I read an american FF of Eva, where a carachter called Isamu,
who was created by the author of the Fiction  ("THE HAPPY LIFE"), fell in
love with Asuka and decided to become her boyfriend.  But I modified the
thing a little
la cosa . Infact, in my  FF, Asuka broke off with Isamu

*********

DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From: "Rei-chan" <reichan@inwind.it>
Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Opening The Future Doors III



Opening The Future Doors


Third Chapter

24th July 2025. 18:30 PM

The sun was setting over Neo-Tokyo 3, once again. A few cars were slowly
crossing the main streets of the town, while some over-heated passers-by
were walking on the sidewalk, in the summer sultriness.
As a rule, Neo-Tokyo 3 registered the hottest temperatures in Japan. There
was a desolate path in suburbia, where one could only hear the birds
twittering over the cherry trees, reddened by then, and the bell-tower of a
little church in the neighbourhood slowly tolling. And still, that path wasn
't as desolate as it seemed at first sight. There were some girl-students
from the First Junior High School in Neo-Tokyo 3, the place where many
persons had underwent unforgettable emotions(e, during their teens. They
were "glued" to the church threshold.

"Ooooh.did you see him?He's has come today, too!!", whispered one of the
girls, blushing, then covering her cheeks in her hands.

"Yeaah..he's so  lovely..", answered an other next to the first girl.

"He has the look of person being cultured!He's always spending time reading
very difficult books, everyday", the other went on speaking.

"It's true. But there's something worrying me: that he's coming to the
church, everyday, at the same hour. Won't he have intentions of taking
 vows?"

"Oh, no!!!", chorused the four girls, finishing their daydreaming.

"Don't dare repeat that again, Miaka!!It would be a sheer tragedy",
exclaimed one of them in a worried tone.

"Sure..he's such a nice boy! If he became a priest, he would throw his
handsomeness to the winds!", Miaka went one, looking again at the interior
of the church,where the boy in question must be, in all likelihood.

"Come on, girls!We gotta think positively! Maybe he's been spending his
afternoons here, so that he could read peacefully in such a quiet place as a
church."

"Nadeshiko!You're always so optimist!Let's hope you're right", Miaka went
on.

"Ooohh..he's so lovelyyy!", chorused the girls.

 But they were not the only one to be interested in that person. Not any
girl had the courage to show one's interest in him while being in front of
the other girls. One of them was sitting on a bench, hidden behind a tree.
The bench where she sat on was the last of the row of many other seats, and
the nearest to the church. She was a girl of about seventeen, and she didn't
wear the uniform of the First Junior High School of Neo-Tokyo 3; she wore a
different one. Probably she attended a school which wasn't even placed in
Neo Tokyo 3.

Despite it was the same old sailor-suit, the uniform was much more elegant
and formal than the other girls' one. It was bright orange, with a velvet
black ribbon under a white green-stripped collar, which was coloured the
same manner as the cuffs.

Even from her features, she didn't look like a japanese girl. The hair of
the people in Japan is usually not so light, unless they dyed it, as Mrs.
Akagi did. And yet, her hair had not looked dyed.
It was very long and had been tied in two plaits, decorated with violet
ribbons, which hung down to her cheeks. Her eyes had not been the typical
kind of Japanese persons too; instead they had european look to them, being
light green and almost transparent. Inside them one could read all her
shyness in approaching other persons. Infact the girl was spending all her
time gazing at the church, and at the other girls continuing to chat about
their idol. She was clasping in her hands something like a letter closed
inside an envelope, while leaning her hands on her knees.

"Ehm.sorry..". A male voice, probably a young man's one, made her suddenly
turn, because she was frightened. She turned towards the direction where the
voice came from, and found a boy standing in front of her. He was Shinji
Ikari.

"Sorry! Have I made you scared?!", Shinji asked, noticing the girl's sudden
reaction.

The girl blushed and shook her head. "No..don't worry!", she answered.
One could notice from her voice that she pronounced Japanese with
difficulty.

"Thanks. Listen to me! Would you mind telling me the time?", asked Shinji.
"My watch has stopped..", the young man explained shyly, while showing her
his wristwatch.

"Wh..what!??", the girl answered, not succeeding in fully understading what
Shinji had said.

Finally Shinji made out the girl had trouble understanding Japanese. "I had
asked you if you could tell me the time", the young vice-commander went on
with a bit of embarrassment, saying his words so that they were easy to
understand.

"Oh, I see..". She suddenly stood up, embarrassed for not grasping why she
had been addressed, while carelessly making the letter slip from her hand
onto the ground. "It's..it's half past six..", the girl answered, unsure of
her pronunciation.

Shinji caught her uneasiness about the whole situation. "Thank you very
much! Sorry for bothering you", replied the young man, while picking up the
letter that had fallen from the young woman's hand.

"No problem!", the girl answered in her turn.

"This seems to have just fallen from your hand", Shinji exclaimed, handing
the letter to her.

As the young man returned her the envelope, she blushed and answered with a
clumsy bow: "To..Tottemo Arigatou" (*)

Shinji smiled. "It's all right..see you around."

"Wait, please!" the girl exclaimed, stretching out her arm towards Shinji.
"Sorry!?", Shinji replied.

"Sorry for interfering you..but ..are you going into the church, by chance?"
, whispered the girl, wondering whether to speech or not.

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Can I help you?", he asked.

She blushed furiously, while her hand was nervously trembling, still holding
onto the letter. After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl suddenly handed
him the letter with both her hands, trying not to show her face blushing.

Shinji was dumbfounded by it. "Eh?!"

Could you please deliver this to the boy who's inside the church, please? It
's only been a few weeks since I've moved here from Russia, and my Japanese
is not that good. I'm a bit too shy to talk to him in person!!He does not
know me at all!!", exclaimed the girl, confiding to Shinji anything that was
on her mind in that moment.

The young man was astonished by the girl's words, and still he took the
letter with a smile.*He must be my friend the one who she's talking about.*
, Shinji thought.
"Sure..don't worry. I'll give this to him. Is Nagisa the name of who I have
to give this letter to?"

Once Shinji pronounced that name, the girl turned to look at him again,
astonished. "Do you..do you know him?", the girl asked shyly.

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Circunstances made us be known to each other.", Shinji
answered, smiling. "So, don't worry! I'll deliver it to him in person!Then I
'll let you know anything that he told me about it. Is it good for you?"

The girl blushed, even more surprised, then she nodded, smiling joyfully.
"Thank you very much, Sir!"" exclaimed the girl with recognition.
Shinji smiled again. Nothing, it's my pleasue! Who is this letter from?", he
asked, inviting the girl to tell him her name.

"My name is Kristina. Kristina Krusciov", the girl answered sweetly.

Some minutes after

Shinji had just into the church, fighting his way through the "human wall",
which the girls on the threshold had formed. Kaworu wasn't out of suitors,
for sure. After all, it had been a lot of years since they had seen each
other for the last time.
That time, they couldn't even greet each other.

The young man made the sign of the cross as he entered the church, after he
had dipped his fingertips into the holy water.

Then he looked around himself. The church had been almost empty, except for
a few old women, who were sitting on the pews, at random.
Kaworu was there, giving him the shoulders, holding a book in his hands.
Despite all the years that had passed since they met for the last time, he
had not changed at all. Same old silver hair, thiny shoulders.and he
resembled Rei so much that, if Shinji had not known Kaworu, he could think
of him as Rei's brother. Shinji had drawn nearer, being rather embarrassed,
while holding in his hand the letter Kristina had asked him to deliver. As
he was moving towards  the pew where Kaworu had been sitting, he could hear
the girls murmuring from behind about him heading towards Kaworu. According
to Shinji's percerption, his friend had not changed at all. He was always
the same introvert   person, who liked to stay apart from anyone, feeling at
ease with loneliness.

Shinji was slowly advancing, being a few paces away from Kaworu.Once he was
near enough, he almost hesitated in asking for his attention. He was caught
by an incredible sense of embarrassment, whose meaning not even he could
understand. As if something inside himself restrained him form going on. He
was not scared of his friend, despite he knew Kaworu was the seventeenth
Angel, Tabris, one of the most powerful Angels; still, in that moment , he
was only Kaworu Nagisa, a young man like him. A frale Angel, who had
succeeded, ten years ago, in confiding to Shinji  what he had never
confessed to anyone. He was the first one to know Shinji intimately. He knew
that Shinji loved Rei more than anything, before the /same/ even Shinji
became aware of it. But now it was as if someone had interposed a partition
wall between them, so that they couldn't approach as they did ten years ago.
This wall had been raised, as the same day Kaworu had been killed by him, at
Nerv Base.

Maybe Shinji was scared to come closer to him because of this memory. Nobody
knew it, except  Shinji's heart. At any reate, he couldn't force himself to
take another step closer to Kaworu. He relaxed only when he saw the
silver-haired man turning his face towards him slowly, then glancing at him
with a focused look.
At that sight, Shinji was startled, being almost frightened by the peaceful
glance of Kaworu, whose eyes were similar to Rei's ones.

The young man went on staring at Kaworu for some seconds, in silence. Their
locked eyes were broken only when Kaworu closed his ones, smiling towards
Shinji spontaneously. "Hello, Shinji", the Angel boy had welcomed him at
once, ending the infinite silence which hung over the church.

Shinji blinked with surprise, then regained his composure, shyly returning
Kaworu's smile, /shyly/. Kaworu's glance was the same as ever: it seemed to
be finding his way to human heart and penetrating into his emotions,
whatever they meant. It was impossible for Shinji to camouflage his
astonishment in front of that strange guy.

"Have you noticed my presence?", Shinji  asked, leaning his elbows over his
knees, whil gazing at his shoes'tip moving nervously, so that his eyes did
not meet Kaworu's  again. Probably he was feared that his friend could dig
into his thoughts. He had been wondering why he had come to talk to Kaworu
about what he had not been able to tell anyone. Why  to Kaworu, who
frightened him so much?
The Angel-boy  nodded, looking up at the church ceiling, where some
wonderful frescoes had been painted. "Yes..it's difficult not to perceive
you. You're the most silent person I've ever known. Except for Ayanami."

Shinji did not answer, he just smiled unawares, as he used to, anytime he
heard someone pronouncing his beloved woman's name or surname. He got up,
leaning against the back of the bench, looking up to the church ceiling in
imitation of Kaworu's attitude.
Kaworu casted a glance to Shinj's face, then he returned to look at the
frescoes.
"Shinji.I noticed a light shining in your eyes..Was it because I've
mentioned the name of Rei?"

Shinji blushed at those words. .Just as he had thought..Kaworu succeeded in
reading into his human mind. After all, he shouldn't be so surprised by
that.Even ten years ago, Kaworu had proved that he could get to the heart of
souls.He had proved that to Rei, too, being the first person to understand
Rei's true feelings towards Shinji, which not even Ayanami had confessed to
herself yet. And still, he already knew of them.
"Er..I..", Shinji said, stuttering.

Kaworu leant his own hand over Shinj's shoulder, so that he suddenly turned.
"You've always needed someone to talk to. I'm here, as always.", the boy
answered in a resolute, but reassuring tone.
Shinji unleashed from his own body's rigidity, and inhaled deeply. "Yes. It'
s true. I wanted to talk to you about Rei.", Shinji said, while Kaworu took
his own hand away from his shoulder. "Sometimes we don't realize how
wonderful it is to talk about what makes us happy. Maybe I didn't like to
talk in the past, because I had only sad thoughts in my mind.", the young
man exclaimed, gaining self-confidence again.
"Are you happy, now?", asked Kaworu., feeling interested in Shinji's
monologue.

Shinji bowed his head. "I don't know..", he answered, sighing. "I have got
the impression that my happiness won't last for long".
Kaworu turned his eyes up again, towards the ceiling. "Your speech is a bit
contradictory, isn't it? Your eyes show happiness and sadness at the same
time. Lilim's emotions are often colliding."

Shinji didn't answer to Kaworu's words, he only confined himself to nodding
and bowing his head, gazing at the floor. Silence reigned again over the
church, but it didn't last more than a few seconds.

"Did you know that me and Re are going to have children?", Shinji said,
lifting his glance from the floor, and looking towards the altar which was
placed not distant from them.

"This is the kind of happy news for you, Lilim's sons.."
Shinji nodded, while smiling sweetly. "Yes. This is true. It's a good
news.But..", the boy contiuned while shaking his head, "as you know, she has
always been very frale. And this pregnancy is an hard experience for her.
She's expecting two babies. Despite it all, she didn't look to be suffering
that much. Except for the usual illness of the first three months of
pregnancy, it looked like the critical phase had passed by", Shinji narrated
with a sad look.
Kaworu listend to him, standing still. "So, the critical phase has passed,
then?", asked Kaworu, once he saw that Shinji had stopped to talk.

"No, unfortunately. Two days ago, a little /time/ while before I came back
home from work, Rei was suddenly taken ill, and she fainted. And I wasn't
with her." In that moment, one could see the first tears forming into Shinji
's eyes, then slowly sliding down his face, in silence. "I had promised to
her that we'll have faced any trouble together. And whn she needed my
presence more than ever, she found herself all alone. Only in company with
Faye, who had been barking continously. All this happened while I was at
work! I considered myself an idiot!Why did I leave her alone, when she's
carrying our babies in her womb?" After he exclaimed thos words, which
echoed through the chapel walls, the young man burst into tears, hiding his
face between his knees, whilr giving vent to his rage by crying. Despite
Shinji's weeping being silent, still his sobs echoed through the church.
Kaworu was saddened by his friend's crying and ceased to smile. The
silver-haired man took a deep breath, that melted in Shinji's sobs.
"In the Book of Genesis, God had said the woman will have given birth to one
's sons among pains and troubles, while the man will have worked with
discomfort  and distress. Not even you can escape this law, engraved ont the
Bible. Not even Rei and you."

Shinji popped his head up from his knees, while tears were still streaming
down his face. He quickly wiped them away. "Excuse me..", the young man
whispered, trying to hide his tears from Kaworu , with a big effort.

"And.how is she now?", Kaworu asked again, after a pause of silence, without
looking away from the church ceiling.
Shinji sniffed before he answered, trying to show a smile. "Now she's good.
Doctor Tsukishiro and Doctor Akagi said that it was due to a sudden fall in
blood pressure, and there's nothing to be worried about..But  I can't help
but being worried for her!!"
Shinji was trembling with rage and concern, while pronouncing those words.
It was evident that the occurrence had upset him very much.
Kaworu was immediately aware of it. Shinj's concern wasn't about the
possibility that Rei could feel bad again. It was about a more definite
question.

"Are you scared your sons' birth will take Rei away from you?!", Kaworu
asked , hesitating a bit in saying such outspoken words.

Shinji did not reply at all. It was evident that Kaworu had hitted the
centre of Shinji's fear, and now the vice-Commander couldn't admit it,
founding himself face to face with the cause of his apprehension.  All at
once, Kaworu assumed a tone of firm determination. "Shinji..Rei will not
die.", the young man abruptly answered. He had exclaimed his answer in a
tone which not even a person who knew something with absolute certainty
would have used. As if hs convinction was so strong making him sure about
it.

Shinji looked at Kaworu in astonishment. "How can you be so sure about it?",
Shinji asked with a surprised tone.
Kaworu glanced at Shinji and smiled at him, leaning his hand over his friend
's shoulder again.
"Shinji. Lilim's son are a gift. If you and Rei really believe you can have
those sons, nobody can hamper this will of yours. Remember Shinji! The most
precious thing in Lilim's nature ist the power of overcoming any trouble
thanks to one's will. You gotta believe  in yourself, Shinji! You gotta
believe in future, and try to open the future doors with firmness and
bravery, without hesitating for a moment. If you'll be resolute enough,
everything will be all right.."

Shinji did not fully understand Kaworu's words. The Angel was used to speak
metaphorically, and his speech often seemed to be non-sense; just like a
poem irrationally written. At any rate, those words had somehow filled him
with self-confidence. Why ? At first sight, Kaworu's words looked like being
said at random. Ritsuko and Yukito's ones should have reassured him much
more, because of their clear thinking. Both of them were aware of the
situation, since they had examined Rei when she had fainted.
What a odd thing..still Shinji felt more reassured with Kaworu's
affirmations.

"Thanks, Kaworu!", Shinji said, while smiling at him lovingly, without even
knowing what he was thanking him for.
Kaworu returned Shinji's smile. "Just quieting down, Shinji. Your babies
will be born. And Ayanami wil be always next to you. Nothing will change."
The young man nodded. "Let's hope!", he answered, then he reminded himself
of the Russian girl's letter.

"Ah.listen to me! A girl out there asked me to give you this!", Shinji told
Kaworu, giving him the letter, which he had been holding in his hands for
the all time they spent talking.
Kaworu took the letter in his hand, then he smiled once he noticed it was a
love letter; one coluld have known it just by looking at its envelope, which
had been sealed by a heart-shaped sticker.

"Unbelievable..The way hwo Lilim confuse me with one of their descendants.."
, Kaworu said, surprised by it.

Shinji smiled, trying to encourage his friend. "Yeah. I guess it's a good
thing, isn't it?", she asked, in order to know Kaworu's thoughts.

Kaworu sighed. "Who knows? Angels never think about such relationships."

"You should start thinking about it. There's nothing wrong with it.", Shinji
replied with a smile.

Kaworu nodded. "We'll see."

Shinji looked up at the huge clock, which was  Louis XII style and had hung
on the chapel wall.By then, the hands pointed at 19:45. The young man stood
up, saying: "I have to go now. Rei'll be waiting for me, and I won't let
anything happen again like what happened two days ago. I could never ever
forgive myself is something even close to it would happen to her again."

Kaworu remanied seated, holding in his hand the envelope, which had been
still sealed.
 " I see. Give my best regards  to Rei. And promise  me you won't have a
fear anymore to open the door on the future threshold.", he whispered once
again.

"And you promise me you won't disappoint the sender of this letter. She's a
very sweet girl. Give her a chance, at least!", Shinji exclaimed, smiling.
"She's not  like the other ones you can see down there!", the young man went
on, ironically, while turning to look at the group of girls, who were still
besieging the huge entrance-door.

Kaworu turned his look towards where Shinji was pointing, and the girls'
emotions froze, once they became aware that the Seventeenth Angel was
staring at their side. Then he turned towards Shinji again, with a smile.

"I promise you."


*



Shinji's wristwatch pointed at eight o' clock when he finally found himself
turning the handle of the door to his house. The young man hesitated to
into. No noises came from inside the habitation, so that nothing testified
to someone living there. Shinji recalled to his mind what had happened two
days ago. But he tried to convince himself that it couldn't be that way,
this time.

"No, it would be impossible! Faye shoud have been barking.", Shinji thought,
in order to encourage himself. "After all, Rei has never been a noisy
person. Why should I hear noises from inside?", the young man said to
himself.

"Yes, I'm sure it's all right", he repeated to himself once again. Then he
sighed and inserted the key into the lock.

He slowly entered. A dim light was hanging over the entrance. Shinji looked
out of the window, while taking his shoes off on the landing. The sun had
set, night was falling.
An other day had passed, making it one less day before January arrived, the
month when Rei  will have given birth to their sonsi, according to their
expectations.

Shinji silently entered the kitchen. As a rule, Hoshi was walking feline up
and down the apartment, chased by her three kittens, who still couldn't but
stepping clumsily, stumbling and tumbling down. But Shinji didn't mind about
Hoshi. The young man carefully looked around him, but nobody seemed to be at
home. Thinking of where Rei could be just upset Shinji more, despite he
tried to keep his head cool. The young vice-Commander quickly but unsteadily
headed towards the stairs leading to the top floor, then climbing them in a
hurry.

"Rei-chan!?Are you here?", exclaimed Shinji, when reaching the top of the
stairs.

No one replied. Shinji was worried of what happened some days ago could be
repeating itself again. His right temple started to throb, at the thought he
might find his young wife laying unconscious on the floor. Panic overwhelmed
him, and he continued running along the top floor corridor towards the
nearest door, which was the living room.

"REI-CHAN, ARE YOU HERE?", Shinji yelled, flinging open the door,
frightened.
But the scene he saw pleased him. Rei was asleep on the couch; she had a
open magazine leaning over her knees, which had probably slipped from her
hand when she had fallen asleep.

"Bau!Bau!", Faye barked in a low tone, at the foot of the couch, standing up
at once in surprise.
After he realized it was is master Shinji, he calmed down,  then returned to
lying on the floor.

Shinji drew nearer, a little frightened, then he became aware that she was
just asleep, and quietened, smiling tenderly. The image which showed to
himself touched him terribly: Rei, his young wife, dressed in a lilac summer
dress which reached her ankles, with a blue shirt under it, a little darker
than the colour of her hair, which perfectly matched the tone of the
living-room, bathed in dusk, of the curtains, and of the sky, whose dim
light filtered through the shutters of the windows. The young man , trying
to mimic Hoshi's pace as he advanced towards her wife, finally arrived near
to her, and caressed her face tenderly. Then Shinji turend his look to her
womb.
Rei's belly was big , by then. After all, she was at her fifth month of
pregnancy. Shinji leant his hand over Rei's womb. If he had laid his hand on
her womb long enough, he could have felt the babies' movements. Shinji
closed his eyes for some moments. Who knows which thoughts were running his
mind?  One could argue from his smile that they were positive ones. Anytime
Shinji went so near to Rei, all his troubles faded, making room for good
feelings.

"Shinchan", Rei whispered all at once, in a sweet tone of voice, almost
imperceptible by a human ear. The young Ikari suddenly openend his eyes, and
soon afterwards he could feel Rei's hand clasping his own, which was still
leant over the woman's womb.

Rei closed her eyes again and leant her head over Shinji's shoulder, while
he was continuing to caress her. After some time, she opened her eyes, and
slowly stood up. "It's late, by now. I had better go and prepare dinner",
she whispered , trying to sustain her belly's wheight without showing Shinji
her discomfort. But Shinji noticed it anyway, and he stood up, restraining
her. "No, Rei-chan! You have got to stay here and take a rest!", Shinji
exclaimed, very worried, placing himself in front of Ayanami, and taking her
by hands.

"But.dinner..", Rei's speech was stopped by her husband who quickly replied:
"Don't worry, sweetheart! I'll prepare dinner for you", Shinji exclaimed
with a smile, while keeping on clasping Rei's hands.
The young woman looked at Shinji astonished, then she softened, lifting on
her feet, and sweetly kissed Shinji, who returned her kiss, as a rule, and
finally embraced her wife delicately.

"Thank you, Treasure", Rei whispered after the kiss, while smiling.

"Thanks for nothing, Rei-chan!", Shinji went on by her turn. "Now return to
sit down, please! I'll prepare dinner for us, and bring it to you at once.
Do you agree?", Shinji exclaimed.

Rei nodded. "Good!", she smiled, while continuing to caress her womb. Shinji
was on the door's threshold, when he heard the bell's ring.

"The bell?", Rei exclaimed in surprise. "Yeah, it is! Who might be at this
hour?" Shinji exclaimed, slowly moving downstairs.

Once Shinji was downstairs, he drew near the entrance door, chased by Faye
who started to bark as he used to, whenever someone rang the bell.

"Shh.Quieting down, Faye! Down!", Shinji exclaimed, getting ready for
restraining the dog from jumping over the incoming guests. It was not that
Faye was bad, he only wanted to play.

The young man opened the door. "Who is it?", he asked, half-opening the
door.

"Hellooo!", exclaimed the person who was ringing the bell. She was a young
girl, very tall, with long brown hair down her hips, and freckles on her
nose, which was common in Horaki family. She wore a blue tailleur, with a
white shirt under it, a sunny smile on her face. She was just like the girl
Shinji had seen on  the photograph which Kensuke had shown him two months
ago.
Despite Shinji had never seen her in person, he recognized her at once.
"Nozomi. Are you Nozomi Horaki?", asked Shinji, dubiously.

Nozomi happily took Shinji's hands and kept on shaking them."Yeah! That's
right! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki! You are Shinji Ikari, aren't you? I'm so happy
to meet you, at last! I've just come back from Kyoto, where I work, or
better, where I worked! AH AH AH! Since I've just resigned! Those idiots won
't ever see me there anymore! I found a new job here in Neo-Tokyo 3! So that
I can spend everyday next to my dear Kensuke-chan, and my little treasure
Musashi!! Anyway, I'm really happyyyyyyyy to meet you!", exclaimed  the wild
girl all in one breath, while keeping on clasping the hand of Shinji, who
was staring at her with a sweatdrop over his head.

"It's all my pleasure..", Shinji said, very surprised by the woman's
exuberant  personality. "Please..come into!" , he went on.

"Waaa! Thank you very much, Shinji!! I found myself in these parts by
chance, because I had gone to the Base in order to take Kensuke dinner,
since he's got to work night-shift, and I prepared something for you too!"
,she exclaimed brightfully, coming into.

"Who was it, Shin-chan?", Rei asked, staying at the top of the stairs. She
had rushed out of the living-room, once he had heard the girl's shrill
voice.

Nozomi looked up towards Rei. "ARE YOU REI?" , she exclaimed, while climbing
the stairs quickly, taking two steps at a time.

Rei was really dumbfounded. "Yes..", the young woman whispered.

The girl with freckles took Rei's hands, shaking them, as she did before
with Shinj's ones. "So nice to meet you!!"I'm Nozomi! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki!
I bet you have already heard my name!?"

"Ehm..yes..You're Kensuke's fiancè, aren't you, Miss Horaki?", Rei asked,
while a sweatdrop was hanging over her head.


Nozomi  lifted her forefinger "NO-ZO-MI!!", the girl yelled. "Just call me
Nozomi! Or Nakuru, as you prefer, it's the same for me! That's right! I'm
Kensuke's fiancè. Even if one can say that Kensuke is my dear husband, by
now! We've already had  a baby. Do you know, we like to hurry along!AHAHAH",
the girl burst out into laughing, puzzling both Shinji and Rei.

Nozomi finally regained her composure. "Oh, don't pay attention to it! I'm
always this way! World looks pink to me! I just can't help but think
positively!", continued the girl, while ransacking through her back, which
was a totally mess.
"Just a moment! Since I'm here, I want to give you  our wedding invitation!
It'll be officiated on 1st December, here in Neo-Tokyo 3.", she exclaimed
joyfully, while keeping on rummaging her disordered bag. "Where did I put
it?Aahh! Here it is!!", she yelled all at once, while pulling out of her bag
an envelope containing their wedding invitation, and delivering it to Rei.

"Thank you.." Rei said with a smile, still puzzled.

"Oh..Thanks for nothing..Ah!!As I've already told Shinji, I prepared a good
dinner for you! Yesterday Kensuke told me that you had felt unwell some days
ago, then I thought you would appreciate a good dinner prepared by myself! I
'm good enough at cooking!", she said joyfully, while pointing to the bentou
which she had handed to Shinji.

"Yes.You've been very kind, Nozomi!", Rei answered, thanking her.

"Come on! Come on!It' only a trifle!", Nakuru went on, while gesticulating."
I hope you'll like it! My little Kensuke's crazy for it!"

"Being good at cooking seems to be a talent of Horaki family,  isn't it?",
Shinji said, recalling old school times, when Hikari Horaki used to prepare
delicious lunches for both Touji and herself. It was the time when Touji
returned to attend school, after his terrible accident on board of Eva 03

"Yes, it is true!As from tomorrow, Kodama, Hikari and myself will work
together in Kodama's restaurant. I'll prepare dinner for
anyone!!HAPPY!AHAHA!"

"^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;", Rei and Shinji couldn't accostum themselves to the
girl's silly attitude.

Then Nozomi glanced at Rei's womb. "Ahhh..I almost forgot it!!So you're
really in the family way!!"

Rei smiled. "Yes. It's my fifth month of pregnancy."
"WONDERFULLLLLL!!", the young woman exclaimed. "This is the best phase of a
pregnancy! Pregnancy is absolutely FANTASTICCCCC!!", she went on, literally
yelling, then leaning her hand over Rei's belly. "Are they shooting for
goal?", Nozom said, ironically.

"What'", Rei answered, not grasping the meaning of Nozomi's joke.

"I wondered if they kicked!", answered Nozomi, making her meaning clearer.

"Oh, yes. Very often", Rei answered.

"MMMM! KAWAIIIII! It's so amusing to feel their kicking!!", she continued,
still yelling and jumping like a child at Xmas.


"I don't think so", Rei answerd, not totally agreeing with Nozomi.

"I'm looking forward to these babies' birth! The labour is a wonderful
moment!"

"Do you think?", Shinji said by his turn, while slowly climbing up the
stairs towards Rei and Nozomi.

"They told me it's a critical phase!", Rei answered.

"Oh, sure! It's a bit critical phase, but it's an  uniqueeeee experience!!
Just think that   Kensuke and I have the intention of  having another child.
But we've got to put it off after the wedding. The priest says that he
couldn't officiate at our marriage ceremony, if my belly was in public eye.
LET'S HOPE SHE'LL BE A FEMALE!!But I don't mind the baby's sex! The only
important thing is that he has got to have all our enthusiasm and joy of
lifeAHAHAHA! We have already started to think about the baby's name! They'll
have an important name, for sure! As their elder brother, our Musashi-chan!"

"But..why are we standing here? Come in, Nozomi!Make yourself at home!",
Shinji exclaimed, inviting the girl to follow him in the living-room.



"Oh, no..no..Sorry! I can't stay longer with you! It's too late, and I gotta
go home, because in half an hour  the babysitter is leaving away!", said the
girl, in a sad tone. "Understood? By the way, I've been so happy to meet
you!!You're so nice!!!", she continued, greeting the newly-weds by clasping
their hands endlessly.

"It was all our pleasure, Nozomi!! Come to visit us anytime you wish!You're
really a nice and witty girl! Thanks a lot for invitation and dinner!",
Shinji and Rei chorused, while showing her to the door.
"Nothing..It was all my pleasur! Thanks to you for your hospitality!I'll
come to visit you soon , don't worry! Do you think I'm  a witty girl? You'
ve got reason!Many persons say that I talk too much! But, what can I do? I'm
this way! Everything looks pink to me! My mother said I started to talk when
I was of five months! I could become a speaker, don't you think?Who knows? I
'm still in my prime!!One can never know what is gonna happen! Sorry! I'd
like to stay with you any longer to chatter , but I gotta go now! See you
soon! Give my regards to everybody!Ciao Ciaoooo! GOOD BYEEE! Auf
Wiedersehen!Ni-hao!", Nozomi closed the door by herself, after this last
spate of words, then she went outside , jumping and singing happily.

"She's a very strange girl, isn't she?", Shinji said. "I've never seen such
a cheerful girl!"

"Yes, it's true! But she's nice! She exudes happiness from every pore!", Rei
answered.

"Just like Kensuke, after all!They are a nice pair! Just think that she also
has a mania for cameras and military models", Shinji answered.

"Incredible!", Rei answered, looking  again at Nakuru who was happily
getting into her car. As soon as Rei turned, she felt Shinji touching her
shoulder with his hand, tenderly. He had drawn near to her, without Rei
noticing it. Shinji smiled. Rei smiled as well, whil Shinji embraced and
kissed her. They stood that way for a long time, carelessly abandoning
themselves to each other.

End of the Third Chapter.

***************************
-Would you like to have a picture of Kristina? Just ask me!^__^

-How come Kaworu was there also if he has die? Well, feel free to imagine
it!^^My choice was just to let people imagine it.

-DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!! (Not for you, Tommy Rude! I feel the urge to tell
you that everything you will says about this fiction it will be totally
ignored by me!)
From: "Rei-chan" <reichanNOSPAM@inwind.it>

Note: Totoki and Moe are from "Kimishika Iranai"
Marie and Jean are from "Fushigi no Umi no Nadia"
ChibiChibi is  from "Sailor Moon"

************************************************************
Opening The Future Doors

Fourth Chapter. Part One.

December, the first.  2025. 08:30 PM

By then, even Autumn was almost completely over. The terrestrial ecosystem
had definitely recovered, so that many countries in the world had been  the
cold winter breeze during the during recent years. In spite of that,
Neo-Tokyo 3  could still enjoy wonderful sunny days, typical of milder
seasons. The temperature used to drop and gradually, and it was quite
difficult to notice the oncoming winter, especially for the ones who lived
in towns.

Shinji Ikari, Nerv's new vice-commander was still lying in his bed. Today
was his day off, so he didn't hurry to stand up. He had not even set the
alarm clock, as he used to, in order to go work in time. But something
seemed to disturb his rest : it was the bright sunlight which filtered
through the bed-room shutters.  The light just had settled upon his eyes,
piercing the eyelids and and distressing him .Shinji woke up slowly,
grimacing  with nuisance.  The young man carefully opened his eyes, and then
gave a puzzled look at the source of light. He realized at once the sunrays
were filtering through the shutters, and then he stood up, a little pissed
off, and headed near to  the window, closing the shutters for good, so that
darkness reigned again over the room.
Finally he turned towards the bed, and smiled in seeing Rei, who was still
wandering in Dreamland. She was sleeping in a fetal position , while the bed
sheets were in  disarray, because of her and Shinji's movements during their
sleep. Shinji watched at the clock, whose hands were visible even in the
room's dim light
The young man decided that he was too awake to go back to bed, and so he
decided to do Rei's morning chores for once
Since they got married, Rei was usually the one  who woke up first and
prepare breakfast so that her husband found all ready, when he would wake up
too. But Shinji wanted to reverse their roles, for once. So he drew near his
young wife, then turned down the sheets with delicacy, being careful to do
it without interrupting her dreams. Rei did not notice anything; on the
contrary, she went on sleeping peacefully. Shinji was staring at her *This
is the decisive month, Rei-chan* , the young man thought, while smiling and
slightly caressing Rei's face, as he moved her strands to the back of her
ears from hanging down over her cheeks. *It's finally arrived *

The young man stood up again, and moved away from Rei, not without regret,
drawing near the door. Shinji crossed the threshold, then he cast a glance
at his wife, smiling at the sight, just before shutting the door behind
himself.
Yawning all the way, he slowly went down the  stairs, which would led him to
the first floor.
Once he had gone down all the steps, he headed to the right, where both the
living room and the kitchen were located. The young man drew near the wall,
with  several photos, pictures and a calendar,whose  days were all crossed
out.
He snatched the sheet dedicated to November. He felt very satisfied while
doing it, because he could finally catch sight of the day he had marked as
the probable birthday of their children : 26th December the day after Xmas.
The number twenty-six had become Shinji's obsession : he always  found
himself scribbling it, whenever he had a pen in his hands by chance; he has
often uttered it to himself, to the puzzlement of people around him; besides
this, he used to smile at any occurrence when he heard  other persons
pronouncing it.
After he had spent some seconds watching at his "Number of Desire", he went
on walking towards the kitchen. He slowly approached the cupboard, then he
opened its door, taking the tea box from the upper shelf.
Anytime that he saw some tea packaging, it reminded him of the unforgettable
experience he had lived in her wife's former apartment, ten years before,
when she  had succeeded in pronouncing a wish of hers, for the first time in
her life, letting Shinji come in, then offering  to prepare a cup of tea for
him. She had tried to be kind to Shinji, as she wished she could.

The young man felt like laughing, thinking again how clumsy he was anytime
he approached Rei, in those times.. he couldn't help cutting a poor figure,
according to his opinion. On the contrary, it was exactly his spontaneity
and kindness, his shy but gentle manner, what had attracted Rei, who was
used to meet with persons that disregarded her, either because of their fear
, which was the case of her classmates ; or because of their exploitation of
her , while making her cherish the illusion of their affection, which was
the case of Shinji's father, for example.

Shinji had not thought over about his father for a long time. After all,
since Gendo  had moved to the Mongolian Branch of Nerv, Shinji had not been
missed him that much. He had understood it was useless to worry about him;
he had started to understand it a long time ago, when he made his best to
approach his father, who had always repudiated him.
This had to be  Ikari Gendo's twelfth and last month in Mongolia ; Shinji
wondered what he was supposed to do, when he would meet his father again.
By the time Gendo came back to Tokyo 3, he would find a completely different
world. Now Shinji had set up family, since he had a wife who expected two
babies.
Gendo already knew his son had married Rei in February. Rei was one of those
he had treated as if they were his destined victims.
He had not enjoyed the news, he merely showed  no interest, as usual. Shinji
couldn't expect his father to be present at the wedding, because of the
distance. But he expected to receive  either a call or a letter from him.
 Nowadays, communication systems are ubiquitous; nevertheless, he was repaid
by sheer silence from his father.
But Shinji didn't mind anymore, by then. While growing up, he became aware
that there was no need to approach a person who did not return his wish at
all. He had tried to make his father change his mind about himself, for so
long: but to no avail. At the and of the day, he'd given up
After all, he knew everything about his father's crimes, which Gendo
probably was still committing, in Mongolia, Who knows?

Surely, ten years ago Shinji Ikari could have never imagined,that he would
arrive at this point. He did not hate him. Gendo was still his father, in
spite of all. He could not resent him, despite how his father had behaved
towards himself and his mother, and also towards Rei,  not to mention the
way he had treated  Nerv employees.
He did not hate him, at least, and he supposed that his father did not hate
him either.
  Shinji was indifferent to him, as a rule.Gendo considered him as as a
stranger .  anyway he didn't look like he detested his son, even from Shinji
's point of view.

By then, Shinji was the new vice-Commander. The day when he received from
Nerv Command the letter which informed him about his sudden promotion , he
couldn't grasp the reason why his father had chosen him. They have often met
each other in the Geo-Front quarters. Why hadn't he let him  know his own
decision in person, instead of telling him the news by a detached formal
letter?
To tell the truth, their relationship had always been so cold that Shinji
couldn't think his father would renounce his aloofness, only because he had
promoted him to the rank of vice-Commander, from the task of piloting
Evangelion unit 01, which the younger Ikari had been filling in the past .

His father had been aware that he needed to go to Mongolia for a long time
so he obviously intended to entrust someone with the whole Base. But  why
did he choose just him? Maybe he had  elected him for vice-Commander by
right of succession, or possibly Fuyutsuki Kozo  haddesignated him as his
replacement, when he had retired.
 The point was that Shinji was the new vice-Commander, and the whole Base
depended on him, during Gendo's absence.

The young man was watering the tea leaves when he felt a cold shiver running
over his shoulders. He shrugged.
"Brrr..it's cold!", he uttered.
"Something must be  open" , he said to himself, while looking around in
order to check if any doors or windows were open. So it was: the door of a
room at the end of the corridor was slowly opening, possibly  because of a
draft which  was entering  through some open window .

Ikari-kun slowly headed near it, and looked inside. It was the new room,
where  some time ago Rei and himself he had settled the furniture they had
received as a gift from all Nerv employees. It was to be their children's
room. It was very odd to notice how everything looked like "was doubled" ,
inside there. There were two cradles, two high chairs, two beds their child
would lie on while being swaddled, two sand boxes, and a lot of other stuff
such as toys, babies' bottles and things like these, which were arranged
over the bedside tables and the rest of the room furniture.
The young man remained to gaze the room for some minute longer: whenever he
came inside it, he couldn't go away easily

He couldn't understand why : after all, he had seen  a lot of times the same
furniture or similar ones, in other persons' houses. And still he used to
feel an unusual happiness, while seeing them in his own house.
 Shin-chan went over to and closed the window, removing the bright yellow
curtains, then tying them up with a cord of the same color; he finally
turned the handle, shutting the window tightly.
Shinji stayed there a little more time. How beautiful that room looked to
his eyes. ..Even if it was empty in that time then, because its "occupants"
were not present yet,  for Shinji it felt as if they were there since the
day when Rei announced to him that she was pregnant.
Shinji looked at several childish stuffed dolls, which were laying on the
floor, just under the window, then he turned his eyes towards  two babies'
bottles that were still in their packages. Shinji smiled at the sight.. Who
knows what was in his mind? Maybe not even he could have explained what he
was thinking about. He surely didn't  mind the confusion that much.

Without being aware of it, he took in his hand the nearest stuffed doll; it
was a little bright coloured elephant, with a puppy face. Who knows if his
children would have liked it? Who knows whom they would have resembled, both
physically and psychologically..
Shinji hoped they would have resembled anyone but his father. At any rate,
he knew for sure that such an occurrence would have  never happen, because
Rei and he would not give them  reason to be like that.

Shinji went on staring  for some minutes at the little elephant, with a
blank look . The only thing which could interrupt his train of thoughts was
the entry of Rei-chan, who came into the room without Shinji noticing her.
She had imagined that  Shinji would be there, or in the kitchen. The young
woman drew near Shinji slowly ,  without saying a word, then she hugged him
by his shoulder, finally kissing him. Shinji gave himself to the soft warm
sensation of her kiss, then returned Rei's hug,while turning to her.

Finally Rei lowered her arms to clasp Shinji, while he continued embracing
his wife's waist.

"Shinchan.I imagined you were here.",   Rei whispered, smiling sweetly at
her husband and leaning her hands over the young man's arms.

Shinji smiled back, then looked around the room, without leaving his grip on
her. "Yeah..I'll find any pretext for coming here..", exclaimed Shinji, with
a laughter.
Rei took Shinji's hand and put it over her womb, which was quite swollen by
then, given the fact that she was at her ninth month; Rei's belly almost
clashed with her slight build.
"Listen..", she whispered, in a happy tone. " Can you feel them moving?",
she went on after some moments of silence.

Shinji closed his eyes, trying to perceive the babies' movements inside her
wife's womb as best  he could, then he suddenly opened his eyes again, with
a smile. "Yeah, I can feel them!", the new vice-Commander exclaimed
joyfully.
Rei smiled, then she bent over Shinji's chest.
"This room will be filled up very soon", she whispered.
Shinji nodded, while kissing Rei's hair. "It's not a long time to it,
Rei-chan."


Meanwhile at Ritsuko's house...

"Look, Mummy! Auntie Misato's finally woken up!", exclaimed the little
Tomoyo, approaching  colonel Katsuragi, who had found herself sleeping in
Ritusko's guest room  with Kaji lying beside her still asleep.

"Ah! It's high time she woke up!", Ritsuko playfully said, while bringing
breakfast to the nearby room, where Akane  and Yukito were already at table,
waiting for her with impatience.

Misato sat down on the bed, while rubbing her head. "My God..what a nap!"
*YAWNNN* "Hello, Tomoyo-chan", Misato said, in a drowsy way.

Giving a look around, she found Ritsuko standing on the threshold.
 " 'Morning!", dr.  Akagi said to her friend, ironically. "You've had a good
sleep, haven't you?"

Misato yawned once again. "What are you doing, here, Ritchan?", asked, in
dismay.

"What do you mean by  << What are you doing here? > > Can't you remember
what happened yesterday night?!", Ritsuko asked , while leaving to the
nearby room.

Misato stood up. "What?... I can't even remember my surname, by now! How can
I try to recall what's happened yesterday night?", she said , while heading
towards the next room, followed by Tomoyo, who pursued her like a puppy dog.
Katsuragi finally found her daughter eating happily together with Yukito the
breakfast her friend had prepared.

"You and Daddy draaankk two bottles of chammmpagneee, Mummy! You drunkard!!"
, Akane said, while Yukito took her in his arms, setting her on the
big-chair that Tomoyo used when she was younger.

"SSHH!!Akane-chan! You've just spoilt Auntie Ritsuko's  trick!", the doctor
said in disappointment .

Akane brought both her hands in front of her mouth, with a worried
expression. "Iiihhh! Sciiorryyyy!"

"I see..I can remember..Yesterday Kaji and I have just hit the bottle, haven
't we?", Misato whispered, slowly regaining lucidity.

"To be honest, we all have hit  the bottle!", doctor Tsukishiro uttered.
"Aah!Ritchan , Honey ! Your white coffee tastes so good!", he went on,
returning to dunk the biscuits in the white coffee, joyfully.

"Uncle Yukiii! You're right!   My Mummy's not good at preparing it, on the
contrary!", Akane-chan exclaimed, offending Misato, without being aware of
it.

"AKANEE! What do you mean by < < Mummy's not good at preparing it?? > > ";
Misato yelled, furiously.

"Whaf, Muffy??", Akane asked, while chomping a biscuit.

"What do you mean < < WHAT ? > >?", Misato yelled again.

"She's definitely awake.", Ritsuko whispered , sipping her coffee.

"M..Mummy! But it's true! Daddy  used to say it too"  the child went on.

"Mm.what did Daddy use to say?", Kaji whispered, popping out behind Misato,
with a drowsy look on his face.

"GRRRR! I don't know what Daddy  used  to say, but Mummy says she's gonna
kill you!!", Misato yelled  in angry, while grabbing the drowsy unaware
secret agent's neck.

"Eeeh..what's wrong with you, Misa-chan?Why are you angry at me?", Kaji said
in dismay, while his wife was keeping on shaking him.

"Don't be so dumb, Kaji! You know what's with me!!"

"I've got it! I've got it", Kaji said, being sure he had found her problem.
"Are you hungry? Do you want some beer?"

"You think you're funny, you idiot..?". Kaji's words  had made colonel
Katsuragi   even more angry at him. So she started again to shake her
husband again.

"WICKED!! A WRESTLING MATCH!!", Akane  joyfully yelled, being amused at
watching her mother hitting her father.
 Misato was obviously pretending to beat him.

Finally Katsuragi  went  to sit down, still pretending to be angry at Kaji,
only to make him apologize to her. "You're always so ungrateful!"

Being quite dumbfounded because of Misato's morning outburst, Kaji sat down
next to her , showing even more puzzlement than before, then and continuing
to look at her wife, who was still in a huff, while sipping her white
coffee.

He finally looked at the others. "Does anybody know what's wrong with her?",
he asked.
Ritsuko, Yukito and the two children burst out laughing. "You'd better not
ask anymore!", Yukito answered, while laughing.

About an hour after, everybody was done with breakfast, and Misato was
helping Ritsuko with the washing up.

"Given the fact that  both of us have got to go to a wedding, tonight, and
Shinji allowed all the Base staff  to have the day off for the occasion, why
don't you stay for lunch?", dr. Akagi suggested, arranging the cups on the
dish rack.

Misato turned the sink tap off, her hands still wet. "Thank you for inviting
us, Rit-chan..but..I don't know..", Misato answered, while wiping her hands.
"The dresses for the wedding are at my home, and."

"Come on, Misato! I think Kaji could go and get  your dresses after lunch,
so we can go to the weddings all together!", Ritsuko insisted joyfully,
trying to convince her friend.

Misato let herself be convinced by Ritsuko's words. "All right..", she
whispered with a smile. "But you'll be my guests, next time!", Misato went
on, in a menacing tone.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!",  a  terrifying yelling echoed through Tomoyo's room,
followed by the noise of things tumbling.

Misato recognized her daughter's voice. "Aaaaaahh!! What is Akane yelling
for, this time?", she cried out, very angry

"I guess we'll know  soon", answered Ritsuko, since she heard Akane draw
near the kitchen in a hurry.

"Mummyyyyy!!!", Akane yelled, standing on on the threshold. She looked like
a lady-in-waiting, wearing an elegant fuchsia dress: it reached her ankles,
and was filled with ribbons and laces; the bodice and skirt's borders were
decorated with  stylish golden  appliques.
"Mummyyyy! Look at what Tomoyo made me weeeeeear" , the child said, running
towards her mother.

"Akane-chan!! You look so  pretty in a dress like this!", exclaimed Misato.

Ritsuko burst out laughing, imagining the scene, when  Tomoyo popped  out
from  the kitchen door , wearing an azure dress resembling  Akane's one in
all respects, except for its size and colour.

"Auntie Misato! Tell Akane-chan  that she looks so good in this dress!",
Tomoyo exclaimed. "She looks like a Princess!", dreamily she went on,
joining her hands, .

Misato caressed Tomoyo's hair. "Congratulations, Tomoyo-chan! You're so good
at making dresses!", said the Colonel joyfully. In the background,
Akane-chan had finished untying her pig tails, removing the bows which
fastened them. Finally she crossed her arms, disappointed by the fact that
her own mother had not supported her.

Tomoyo blushed and brought her right  hand to her face. "Thank you very
much, Auntie Misato! Sewing has always been my passion!"

"Definitely unlike her mother!", Risuko said, while arranging the last cup
left on the dish rack."I can't even sew a button on!"

"Mummyyyyy! PHEW! I  WWANT to play FOOTBALL!", Akane protested, stamping
her feet on the floor.

Tomoyo was astonished, while bringing her hands to her face. "What are you
saying, Akane? Football is a game for boys!" , she exclaimed in a saddened
tone of voice. "Why don't we play princesses?", she continued, catching the
child's hands.

"Nooooo!! Let's play Football!", Akane retorted.

"But I want to play princesses!", the elder child insisted.  As a last
resort, she even spun round, trying to incite Akane to play her favourite
game.

Akane raised her forefinger. "Then we shall play princesses who are playing
football!"

The two women burst out laughing, at Akane's odd expedient.
"Akane! You're always the same!",  ended Ritsuko .

Tomoyo resolved to indulge Akane's oddity. "All right! So we'll play
princessess who're playing football!", Tomoyo allowed, taking Akane-chan  by
hand and leading her to the play room.

Misato smiled, while looking at Tomoyo rushing to the play room together
with her best friend's daughter. She finally shook her head, turning to
Ritsuko. "My daughter is definitely a tomboy", Katsuragi whispered, in a
sweet tone.

Ritsuko smiled. "Tomoyo has always been obsessed with elegant dresses,
princesses, fairies..She's very happy today, 'cause on the occasion of
Nozomi and Kensuke's wedding, she  can finally wear the light-blue dress I
bought her the other day."


Misato sighed, while tying her hair, using  the band she always  encircled
her forearm with, finally arranging her tresses in a low tail.

"I can foresee Akane's complaints when I'll have to make her wear her
elegant dress. She  literally hates those kinds of clothes. Everytime she
has to dress  elegantly,  I'm in trouble!".

"Eehhh. Don't you miss the times when we were newly-weds? No whims, nothing
to worry about.", Ritsuko said ironically.

Suddently she remembered to tear the  November page of the calendar.

"Another month has gone by..yesterday had been six years since Tomoyo was
born, and eight since Yukito and I were married."

"Yeah..You know .. This children-mania looks like it's infected everyone,
don't you think? If I'm not  right  this is the month when Rei and Shinji
will become parents, isn't it?", Misato asked.

"Yeah..On December 26th, it will be their turn!", Ritsuko uttered,  noticing
that she had already marked in red  on the kitchen's calendar the  likely
birth-day for Rei and Shinji's sons.

"I can't believe our pilots have  grown-up to become parents as well..",
Misato whispered, while leaning her back on the edge of the kitchen
furniture, just next to the wall-calendar.

"It looks strange to me too, do you know?It seems like yesterday when
Shinji, Rei and Asuka fought  the Angels aboard the Eva Units.", Ritsuko
said, throwing the expired calendar  sheet on the rubbish.

"At the right time! It's the nine month for Rei,  isn't it? Do you know if
she's gonna have two boys or two girls?", Katsuragi asked

Dr. Akagi smiled, turning to her friend. "Both!A  boy and a girl!"

"Are you serious? Wonderful!" Misato yelled gaily

"Yeah, it is! But, shut up, please! Rei didn't want to be informed about the
children's sex during the last  ultrasound she underwent."

Misato was amazed at it. "Really ?" Why? Does she prefer the surprise?"

"Well..possibly..But..I had the impression that Rei.." Ritsuko's look became
thoughtful, all at once.


*FLASHBACK*

 ------------------------

"Doctor Akagi..I'd rather not to know before hand   if I'll give birth to
two boys or girls" Rei had  uttered these words, after a pause of silence
which had been preceded by Ritsuko's joyful statement: she could finally
establish the babies' sex.

Ritusko turned to the young mother, looking rather dismayed. "Why would you
rather not  know it in advance, Rei-chan?", she asked. "Aren't you curious
to find out their sex?"

Rei shook her head, whit a slight smile. "Nope. It's not that I'm
uninterested.I'm
 looking forward to seeing them, but I'd rather know all about them just at
the moment of their birth. I do not want anything to be planned before they'
re born". So speaking, the young woman watched at the ultrasound display,
exploiting of the fact Dr. Akagi had not yet  removed the sensor from her
womb; she stared at the two outlines, which had finally assumed the proper
form of two babies, being cuddled up  next to each other.

Dr. Akagi didn't try to dissuade Rei from her resolution, on the contrary
she smiled at her, as a token of encouragement. " All right..Rei-chan. If it
's your choice, I won't tell you. Maya too did not want to know before time
if her childwould  be a male either  or  a female. Surprise is a great
thing, isnt' it, Honey?"

Rei nodded. "Yup. So to speak, I'm expecting the surprise too." Almost
invisible tears sparkled into the young woman's eyes, as if she was
recalling something unpleasant, just in a beautiful moment like that.

*END FLASHBACK*

------------------------

Misato crossed her arms. "I guess I understand what was impeding Rei's
natural curiosity."

Ritsuko nodded. "At the time when Gendo created the Dummy System. or better,
even  before he built it ... we already knew every slightest detail about
Rei I think Rei wouldn't give her children the same treatment at all."

"I see.. I can remember that time. But it'd be better not to recall a shame
like that, hanging over the Nerv's reputation ." Misato stated, with sorrow.
" And what about the birth of the children? Will you take care of it ?"
Colonel asked  averting her mind from Nerv's  misdeeds, by changing the
topic of their conversation.

Ritsuko looked away from the emptiness, which was reminding her of the
horrible past. Then she nodded again, turning towards her friend, with a
smile on her face. "Of course. I guarded Rei since her first months of
pregnancy, and I promised her I would be beside her at the moment of the
child birth."

"Well done. I think it's very important for Rei-chan to feel someone's
friendly presence next to her, given the fact that she won't be able to have
Shinji with her."

"Aahh.. er.Sorry for interfering in your womanish conversation, but.", Kaji
uttered, snickering while he made his entrance a hand on his head.
"Misato-chan. Which clothes am I supposed to wear tonight?", he asked

"Why do you ask me? The last one I bought you, it's obvious, isn't it? That
is the dark blue tuxedo with the bordeaux tie!", Misato cried out, trying to
make her husband figure which dress she was adressing to.

"Aaahh! I got it!", Kaji averred. "But the shirt is still at the laundry! Do
you remember? It stained at Maya's child's baptism."

"Why don't you put the new one on?", Ritsuko suggested, interfering in the
conversation. "If I remember correctly, you took the shirt as well, when you
bought the  dress , didn't you?"

"Nope. I gave the shirt back to the shop, because it was tight on him, and I
changed it with a shirt for Akane, which she's supposed to wear this night,
by the way."

"Ahh..So you've got to go to the laundry today, to get it back!"

"Yup! Makoto's not available. I'll have to go by myself!"

Misato crossed her arms, angry. "Hmmmph!  That Makoto! He choose the wrong
time for his honeymoon with the laundry owner's daughter!!"

"Yeah..It was so convenient for us..He lived right in front of our favourite
laundry, and it suited us to carry our clothes there! And now, I'll have to
go myself by car to pick it up!"

"You'd better hurry up, Sweet Heart! It's already half past eleven!", his
wife informed him, watching at the clock.

Kaji snorted, leaning his hands on his hips. "Ok..I'll go and prepare myself
for going out."Kaji said. "See you later, beautiful ladies" Kaji left of
them, with a hint of irony.

"Bye, Kaji-chan, and remember to shave!", Misato recommended him, while
Ritsuko could not help but laughing in seeing Misato who still used to give
her husband a reminder about having a shave.

"Ok..ok..I won't forget it!", Kaji promised, on the verge of shutting the
door.

"WHHHAAAAATTT???", Akane-chan yelled, popping out dressed in another
princess dress made by Tomoyo, who chased her little friend. Ryouji's
daughter  madly ran towards her father. "DADDDYYY! I want to come with
youuuu!", Akane cried out, while jumping around Kaji, in order to beg him to
take her in his arms.

"Aka..Akane.what's up with you?", Kaji whispered, taking her daughter in his
arms, while noticing her face was covered with an avalanche of make-up, not
to speak of her quite unusual attire.

Akane was too busy trying to reach her goal, so she didn't hear her father's
question. "Pleaseeeee, Daddyyyy! Take me with youuuu!", the child pleaded,
grabbing her father's neck.

"Are you leaving me alone, Akane?", Tomoyo sadly murmured sitting
disconsolate on the floor.

"But you're supposed to come with us, Tomoyoooo!! So Daddy 'll buy candies
for both of us!!", Akane-chan exclaimed gaily.

Tomoyo cheered up. "Are you really? May I come as well, Uncle Kaji?"

Kaji landed Akane on the floor. "Yes, if Mummy agrees.", the man answered.

"Mummy, May I?", Tomoyo implored.

Ritsuko nodded in agreement. "All right, you may go..Just don't make Uncle
Kaji get mad with you, Tomoyo-chan!", Ritsuko granted.

"HURRAHHH!", Tomoyo and Akane chorused.

"So I am supposed to bring them with me, then?", Kaji addressed the two
women. Both of them nodded with approval.

"Yeah, it's all right.. Just be careful, keep your eyes on them!", Misato
warned him. "Not a month had passed by since Akane-chan got on a bus, taking
advantage of our inattention; if we hadn't noticed it, who knows how the
thing would have ended!

Kaji snickered while an enormous sweatdrop formed over his forehead. "Er. I
can remember..I' ll be careful, don't worry! I won't take my eyes off her.
Now, you' d better go and dress yourself according to the third century
style!", he suggested, finally closing the  kitchen door behind himself, and
carrying the energetically happy  children with him.

Early afternoon, another place in Neo-Tokyo 3.
A young woman of about 24 years, whose hair was arranged in two pig-tails,
fastened in the same way a junior high student would, was nervously stamping
the ground , as if she was waiting for someone's arrival, while holding in
his arms a baby of seven months, who was having fun by trifling with the
woman's tails.

"Nooo! Musashi-chan, sweet heart! Please, don't pull Auntie Hikari's hair,
ok?" the young woman told the child off, while trying to move her head away
from his hands.

"DaHa", Musashi-chan giggled, then  he happily renewed his efforts to grasp
his aunt's  pony-tails.

"AHI! Musashi-chan! Please leave my hair alone'!" , Hikari yelled again,
removing the baby's fingers from her maltreated hair. "Here!", she said all
of a sudden, while sitting the child on the floor, next to his haphazardly
scattered toys. "What about playing with your little horse,uhn?", she
proposed, bowing towards the baby, suggesting the child  entertain himself
with his gummy and stuffed dolls.

"Gaaah", Musashi moaned in protest, since he saw his young Auntie stand up
and stop playing with him.

Hikari lowered her look. "What  else do you want now, Musashi-chan?", Hikari
asked the baby, who was heading over to her on all fours. His gaze met
Hikari's', which bent down to meet Musashi's eyes. The child smiled at
seeing his Auntie curiously worried, then he finally giggled, while lifting
his own arms as a cue that could serve as a signal to Hikari, to take him in
her arms again.

Hikari snorted, while bowing to pick Musashi up in her arms. "Musashi-chan,
you can't keep still a moment, uhn? You're identical to your mother, in
every respect, she uttered, letting the child sit down on her arms. Hikari
lifted her look up towards the upper floor and exclaimed in a loud voice:
"Kodamaaa! How long does it take to Nozomi to be ready??"

After some moments, another childish voice echoed from the upper floor. It
looked like belonging to a six or seven years old child. "She's almost done,
Auntie Hikari!", the child answered.

"Mummy is just finishing to arranck Auntie Nozomi's veil!", soon after two
childsh voice chorused. They must be two young girl's voices chorused.

"The right word is arrange, you dummy", the kid, who had answered first,
corrected them.

"That's what we said, isn't it? Arranck!", the two twins went on, with
perfect synchrony.

"Moe, Marie, you are not  even able to speak!", the kid teased them,
scoffingly. "Baka Moe! Baka Marie!", he went on , as if intoning a familiar
monotonous chant.

"Mummyyyyy! Totoki's making fun of us!", the two twins reported  to their
mummy in unison, begging her support.

"Totoki, stop making fun of your sisters! They are so young that it's quite
obvious they miss the words correct pronunciation.  You did it  too when you
were the same age they are now."

"But..Mummy! It was only a joke! It's not fair! You always defend them!",
the elder child retorted.

"Totoki, dear, just don't talk nonsense.. I use to defend them because you
are the one who started the whole thing, by making fun of them.", the eldest
of Horaki sisters explained. Her name was Kodama, and  she was thirty. Just
then she was trying to keep the children away from the room where she was
helping her sister Nozomi to put on  her white wedding dress.
Hikari Nozomi was getting ready for her wedding, which would be that very
afternoon.
She was  carefully looking at herself in the mirror, while her sister was
fastening the bridal  veil with several clips and pins, taking care she didn
't disrupt her sisters' hairdo.

Totoki looked around himself, noticing that one of his three sisters was
absent, despite the fact that two twins were  there, sitting on the floor.
"Mummy, where's Chibi-Chibi?", the eldest son doubtfully asked her mother,
addressing her younger sister by calling her "Chibi-Chibi".

"Chibi-Chibi's sleeping, Treasure", his mother answered, keeping on
arranging Nozomi's wedding dress veil and ribbons as best she could.

The dark-haired child, the one who had taken after his mother in their
family, snorted. "Mummy! Ugh! Why did you make three sisters for me? I want
a little brother! Moe and Marie never let me play with me, whereas ,
Chibi-Chibi is far younger than me!", the child sulked , while sitting down
on the floor.

Nozomi was the one who answered to him. "To-chan! What are you complaining
about?Another  baby will be born within a couple of months. Who knows?
Possibly, it will be your little brother's turn!"

The child kicked one of the toys scattered on the room floor, then he
snorted once again."If it would be another little girl, I'll go and live at
someone else house."

The blonde child with freckles on her face and a bobbed hair, averted her
attention from the games she was playing with her sister. "Yes Mummy! She'd
like to go and live at doctor Akagi's house, because she likes  her daughter
Tomoyo-chan!"

"That's true! That's true!", called out the other twin, the one with the
pony-tails, supporting her sister. "He blushes head to toe, anytime he
catches sight of her!", she went on, causing her brother to blush furiously.

"Aaahh..", Auntie Nozomi snickered maliciously. "There's already a little
girl whom you like, uhn?", she insinuated.

"It's not true. Not at all!", Totoki retorted.

"Come oonnn!!You've blushed head to toe!", her mother exclaimed, while
looking at Totoki's  image reflected by the mirror she had in front of
herself.

Marie and Moe stood up , leaving behind the dolls and the other toys they
were playing with.

"Nee-chan! Let's go and say it to Auntie Hikari!!!",  Moe said spitefully.

Marie nodded, taking her sister by her hand. "Yeeess!", she yelled, heading
rushing towards the stairs, followed by her sister. "AUNTIE HIKARIIIIIII!
Listen at what Totoki's said!!"

"Childreenn!! Please, don't yell like this! Chibi-Chibi's sleeping!", their
mother, sorrowful.

"Chibi-Chibi! KAWAIII!What a nice name you chose for your daughter!", Nozomi
exclaimed, bringing her hands to her face, while thinking over it joyfully.

At the end of the day, Kodama's worry was proven right . The room's
half-closed door slowly opened, and a  child of about two years popped out
of it. Her hair was red, and gathered in two delicious  high pony-tails,
arranged so that they looked heart-shaped, hanging down   like curls. By
looking into her eyes, one could notice she was still drowsy and
dumbfounded, which meant she had been woken up in the middle of her nap.

"Chibi-Chibiiiii", the child said with a low broken voice, being on the
verge of crying, while carrying  a stuffed tiger,which was almost bigger
than her.

Kodama sighed.. "What I expected has finally happened!", she said,
neglecting for a moment her sister's veil, to draw near her younger
daughter,  preventing  the child from bursting out crying, as she used to,
whenever she was woken with a start.

Kodama took her in her own arms and quickly caressed her face, with a smile.
"Poor Chibi-Chibi, my Treasure! Your nasty brothers were those who woke you
up, weren't they?", she uttered, trying to calm down the child.

Chibi-Chibi nodded, while rubbing her own eyes. Kodama brought her daugther
to her sister .

"Would you keep her in your arms, while I'm finishing to arrange your dress,
please? " , Kodama asked, handing the child to her sister Nozomi.

"SUUUUUUREEEE! COME HERE TO AUNTIE NOZOMI, CHIBI-CHIBI!", Nozomi exclaimed,
while leaning  Chibi-Chibi on her own knees. In the meanwhile Kodama came
back to put in order the wedding dress veil.

"Which barbe did your husband Jean went  go  to?", Nozomi asked

"The same as KenFuke!",   Kodama answered, keeping in her mouth the last
hairpins remained to be placed in her sister's hair.

"Really?"   Both of them will be very handsome, for sure!!"

"All three,you mean! Touji too went along with them", Hikari added, coming
into the room all of a sudden, pursued by the two gossipy twins, Moe and
Marie, and by their elder brother, Totoki.

"Ah!Hikari-chan!  You're here!", Nozomi observed."Where's Musashi-chan?"

"I've already finished to feeding Musashi-chan with his baby-bottle, and he'
s asleep like an angel by now.", Hikari said  with satisfaction.

"Assuming that these rascals  won't make such a racket that he'll wake up,
as Chibi-Chibi did.", Kodama said ironically, while looking at Chibi-Chibi,
who was on the verge of falling asleep again, in Nozomi's arms , on that
occasion.

15:30 PM

"Phew! Hair gel is almost done" Shinji said, while standing in front of the
bathroom mirror. He was finishing to putting his hair in order with his
fingers.

Shinji Ikari, 25 years old. His birthday had been the last June. Ten months
ago, he had married the woman who had always been to him the most important
person on the earth, since the time he was still a young man of fourteen.
She had always represented his only reason to live.

That very day, he had to go to an old friend's  wedding. Kensuke would marry
Nozomi, in the afternoon.
The young man luckily succeeded in arranging his hair with the little amount
of hair gel left. Then he tightened more firmly the black tie's knot, under
his elegant white shirt collar.
He finally went out of the bathroom, turning off the light then shutting the
door behind him. He headed towards the living room which was the room just
after the corner.

There was a young woman sitting down on the couch, who was playing with
Hoshi's grown-up kittens, whose names  were Tenshi, Sakura, Midori and Momo.
She wore a long light-blue pinafore, which reached her knees; it was the
same colour of her smooth hair, which hung down on her neck. One could have
noticed, at first sight, that she was pregnant. Shinji couldn't help but
staring at her. She was so spontaneous, while tickling the kittens under
their chins and on their bellies; they rubbed themselves against her,
purring all time. Rei's other hand was constantly on her light-blue satin
dress, caressing her swollen womb, which did not succeed in spoiling the
young woman's outline delicious harmony, in spite of all.

"Rei-chan?", Shinji asked for Rei's attention, suddenly. She turned towards
him
with an inquiring look, then she smiled."Are you ready, Shin-chan?" . She
slowly stood up from the couch. He drew near to her.

"You're so elegant, today.", she said with a hint of irony, while arranging
her husband's jacket. Shinji smiled. "You too are so charming,
Mademoiselle..", Shinji answered, as if he was playing in an old-time drama,
speaking to his wife in a formal tone.

 Rei smiled  and pressed close to Shinji's chest, taking care that she
wouldn't crease her elegant, sky-blue, satin pinafore . Under it she wore a
creamy blouse with long sleeves and  rolled up cuffs.

In the same way, Shinji embraced her, leaning his hand over Rei's shoulders.
He wore an elegant black tuxedo, which perfectly matched the black tie,
whereas his white shirt served to break  the monotonous darkness.

Rei released herself from Shinjj's hug only when she heard the long case
clock in front of herself striking half past three.
"We'd better go now, Shin-chan. The wedding's supposed to start at 15:45,
and we' ll be late unless we hurry up", Rei pointed out, looking at Shinji
with a smile on her face.

Shinji nodded and smiled back. "Yeah. We'd better go." Finally, both of them
headed towards the front door.

End of the Fourth Chapter-First Part

************

Many thanks to Faby-chan (shinchan@inwind.it) for this translation!^_^
And many thanks to my American friend Jason Carter (jmc159@hotmail.com) for
all the english corrections!^_^THANKS REALLY VERY MUCH!^_^
And do not forget to rewiev!!^___^

Rei-chan

From: "Rei-chan" <reichanNOSPAM@inwind.it>

Opening The Future Doors
4th  Chapter- Part II


December the 1st, 2025. 11:30 pm.



The banquet, which had taken place on the occasion of Kensuke and Nozomi's
wedding, was almost finished. Dinner had been served, consisting of several
courses, including wedding cake and champagne. Nevertheless,   The guests
didn't appear tired at all, except for  the children: some had fallen asleep
in their parents' arms, others  had sat down on chairs while most of them
were still  sharply awake, being  entertained by a few hotel employees in
the next hall of the Big Hotel. At the end of  the day, the reception would
have only begun to be far from over.

 The newly-weds  were the first to consider the party to be far from its
close.
In fact,Kensuke and Nozomi-Nakuru were enthusiastically  ordering
champagne for themselves and their guests while drowsy waiters hastened  to
serve them, pretending not to look exhausted. It goes without saying that
absolute chaos was reigning over the hall; for example, there were  those
who had been drinking harder than the rest, like Misato and Kaji.

They were two of the most noisy guests that very night, splitting their
sides laughing, accompanying any sentence with a glass of champagne; one
drink led to another,and so on...

All that was happening under Ritsuko's disconsolate glance. She was staring
at the scene in disbelief, sighing all time, while trying to make the drunk
married couple realize  that their jokes and personal affairs probably didn'
t concern those sitting at the next table: so, it was not required from them
to yell like that!

 Ristuko's word were obviously ineffective.

"Come on, Dear! let them enjoy themselves!" Yukito exclaimed, encircling her
wife's  shoulders. "Would you like another piece of cake?", he asked, while
a
waiter served him with the third helping of wedding cake he had asked for.

"No, thank you! I had enough food..after all that they had served us  for
dinner this night!", dr. Akagi answered.


"I see, Rit-chan! You're always careful about your figure! As for me, I
never gain weight!" ! If only I absorbed all that I usually eat, you'd have
an elephant as your husband!", he said, while bringing a forkful of cake to
his mouth.

Ritsuko burst out laughing, thinking that Yukito always managed to make her
smile.

"*Ich* YESSSSSS!!!Ritsuko's always been obsessed over her figure*Ich*",
Colonel  Katsuragi interfered, slowly articulating her words,even though she
was often interuppted by her hiccups, which testified to her inebriation.
Her face had  turned scarlet, her lips drawn back in a mischievous grin.


Kaji looked more sober than his wife.  At least, he wasn't hiccuping,  and
was somehow restraining himself from talking non-sense, and he had refrained
from pouring out another glass of champagne for himself.


Rei and Shinji were still there, sitting at their assigned table, together
with Touji and Hikari, who were who were continuing to drink, though,
though they seemed more self-controlled than the afore-mentioned couples.

" My sister Nozomi is the portrait of happiness!", Hikari uttered
ecstatically, while gazing at her sister laughing, toasting, hugging and
kissing Kensuke.

"Your sister's the portrait of happiness all the time!", Shinji averred.
"Isn't she, Rei-chan?"

"Yeah, you're right", she answered, with a smile.

"He looks so happy! Mister Aida!", Touji said with a hint of irony, staring
joyfully at his friend Kensuke, who was in high spirits, kissing his wife.

Actually, Nozomi still behaved gracefully, despite the precious dress she
was
wearing. She couldn't help showing her brisk personality, giving the party
an unusual tone.

Still that night would  lead to something else, an uncommon case indeed.


Rei Ayanami was the only one who was not overcome  by  gaiety. Perhaps, she
couldn't help  but being that way.

 Her forehead was covered in sweat and her glance showed fear and anxiety
more visibly, as time went by.

By looking at her demeanour, one could argue she wasn't well. Her stomach
had  hurt for about half an hour; in the beginning it was bearable, yet, as
time passed, her pain became harsher ; it was gradually  strengthening its
grip on her, as she had never experienced before. Rei wondered what had
happened to herself. She was scared, not only about herself,  but also about
Shinji's reaction, when he'd realize her sudden discomfort.


*Maybe* she thought *it will be over by itself, within a few minutes..*
Rei,still trying to bear the pain,  rested her hand on her aching
womb,hiding her hand from Shinji's view so as to not spoil his pleasure at
the celebration. So she closed her  eyes and inhaled heavily, making a great
effort to relax, while she leant against the back of her chair.

But it was useless, because the pain had not diminished, it had grown worse!
She looked at  Shinji, who was sitting next to her, taking a picture of
Touji and Hikari  standing happily next to the newly-weds. She yearned to
tell him about  her trouble. Yet she didn't, being concerned about Shinji's
possible response.

Touji and Hikari went back to sit down, Shinji having already photographed
them together with the  newlyweds.

" Ehi, folks! Great party, isn't it?", Touji yelled, while sitting down.
"What about having some more drinks?"

"Touji!! You don't really intend to get drunk, don't you??", Hikari
retorted, in her intimidating way.

"Uhm.all right, all right! I'm gonna have only some soft drinks, ok?", Touji
said, not without annoyance.

"That's good! I thought so..!", said Hikari sister, crossing her arms, with
an authoritarian attitude.

"Sounds good , Touji.. I agree with Hikari on this point.", Shinji said. He
was starting  to think the same way as Hikari about the alchohol matter,
given the fact they had really been guzzling during the last few hours.
Shinji turned towards Rei, asking her: "What drink would you prefer ,
Rei-chan?"
Shinji hardly had time to finish his question before he noticed that
something was wrong with Rei

"Rei-chan!!", he yelled, alarmed by the state she was in.
And he wasn't the only one to be alarmed. Touji and Hikari were quite
frightened too.

"Are you all right, Sweetheart?"

 Shinji hurried to support her wife, lifting her  head up; then, leaning his
hand on her cheek, he started caressing it. She endeavoured to smile,in
order not to further frighten even more Shinji and his friends.

"N..no..Shin-chan..I'm all right. I'm tired, that's all..Aah!". Rei couldn't
feign composure in front of Shinji.  He hastened to hold up her by her
shoulders, just before she bent her knees, in pain. Shinji was definitely
scared,  so that his panic infected Hikari and Touji, who were trying just
then to screen the whole scene from the other guests, in order to restrain
apprehension from spreading throughout the hall.
When the pang had subsided, Shinji moved his chair to Rei's : rested her
head on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. Shini caressed Rei's shoulder,
then he hugged her. "Rei-chan! What's with you?", Shinji yelled, losing his
own control.

Rei slightly shook her head, answering in a faint voice. "I don't know,
Shinchan, My stomach hurts badly and."

Seeing Rei's effort to talk, Shinji stopped her, by saying in a reassuring
tone:

"Ssshh.. Stop it, Rei-chan. Please, you must not  talk anymore." After this,
Shinji quickly kissed Rei on her cheek, and tried somehow to look as calm as
possible, for Rei's sake.

"Rei-chan, Dr. Akagi is right there. I'm gonna ask her for help, all right?
I'll be back soon!"

Rei reached for Shinj's hand. Once she found it, she clasped it tightly.

"Shinchan...forgive me..I wouldn't bother you ever!"

"Rei-chan." Words didn't come easy to Shinji. He looked into her eyes, so
tenderly. Rei's visage  seemed to soften. After this, Shinji quickly stood
up, leaving Rei with Touji and Hikari, who sat beside her .

"Rei-chan.. Please, calm down.", Hikari whispered in a sweet manner, while
shifting a few bangs from Rei's sweaty forehead

"Everything's gonna be all right!", Touji added, as an encouragement to his
former classmate


"What's happening down there?",wondered Kensuke,amid laughter. He became
aware of a certain bustle around Shinji and Touji's table, which Nozomi
noticed as well.

In order not to creat chaos, which could have spoiled the whole party,
Kensuke kept silent, while his continuing to watch Shinji's moves.

Dr. Akagi quickly stood up from her assigned table. "Don't worry, Shinchan.
I'm going to have a look at Rei at once.  Yukito and I are  here,  don't
worry.", Dr. Akagi said, while resting her hand over Shinj's shoulder.


Shinji nervously nodded, making an effort to regain his composure. "Thank
you, Dr. Akagi. Thank you very much."*

Given the case, Misato and Kaji unexpectedly came down to earth, almost
overcoming their drunkenness, which had almost overwhelmed them

Misato stood up from her chair, then she approached Shinji, searching in her
smiles collection to find her most reassuring one. "Shinchan. You gotta
encourage her, do you know what I mean? You gotta be strong for her, and
stay next to her!", Misato urged him. Her intention was to hearten him,
first of all.

Shinji nodded, showing a shy , half-forced smile. "I'll try.", he answered,
hesitantly.

Misato shook her head, then lifted her forefinger."No! No! You must not try!
You've got to do it!", Misato went on, ruffling Shinji's hear, as if he were
a child.
 Kaji stood up and joined their conversation, while taking his daughter in
his arms.

Some minutes ago , one of the organisers , who had entertained the children
in the downstairs hall, had handed him Akane, together with Tomoyo. The
babysitter told Kaji the little girls had fallen asleep on the couch where
they had been playing and watching anime videotapes.

"Misato's gotta reason, Shinji. Just remember Rei's the person who will give
you the best moments of your life.", Kaji whispered, quietly and yet
intensely.

"Kaji-san.", Shinji had carefully listened at his words.
Ryouji smiled. "You'd better go back to Rei-chan, she's waiting for you.
Follow Ritchan!"


Shinji regained his self-control, bending his head in assent.

"Ritchan, do you want me to come with you?", questioned Yukito, turning to
his wife.

"Dear, don't trouble yourself. I can handle it. Please, look after
Tomoyo-chan. If I shall need your help, I'll call you.". Having smiled at
them brightly,Dr. Akagi left Yukito and her own daughter,  who had fallen
asleep in her father's arms. The doctor headed towards Rei's table, with
Shinji proceeding behind her.

"Rei-chan! How're you?", Ritsuko asked lovingly, while sitting next to
Ayanami.

Rei-chan was panting."Dr. Akagi. I can't understand what's happened to
me..all of a sudden..", she whispered, frightened. She was trembling all
over.

"Ssshh.. Calm down, Rei-chan. It's all right. Just relax", Ritsuko cheered
Rei, while smiling at her. Then she started to feel her womb, pressing
delicately against it, passing her hands over  where the babies should have
been.

Shinji, who had been holding Rei by the hand since he had rejoined her, was
impatiently awaiting for Ritsuko's response,  while caressing his wife's
trembling hand.

"Rei-chan. Do you remember when you felt these abrupt aches for the first
time?" Dr. Akagi inquired, using her most comforting tone of voice.

Rei, making an effort to bear the labour pains, responded: "..I started to
feel them..since the beginning of the dinner..but they were very slight..I
thought they would pass off in a few minutes..it often happens that." Dr.
Akagi's suppositions were borne out by those words.

Ritsuko caressed Rei's cheek. "Rei-chan..I think the big moment has come.."

"WHAT??RIGHT NOW???", Shinji burst with surprise. He had never ever expected
such a verdict from Rit-chan.

"SHINJIII!! PLEASE, SHUT UP!!Everybody is  watching us, now!",Touji blurted,
while hushing his friend.

"It's true, Shinchan. The time has come.", Ritsuko finally averred.

"But.", Rei whispered, concealing her own distress,"There are so many days
when it is supposed to happen."

"Don't mind, Rei-chan. After all, there's only a few days to the foreseen
day. Just remember that Misato gave birth to Akane at her eight month of
pregnancy, and both of them are as sound as a bell , as you can see. You
have to calm down, now. Do you remember what I told you when we examined the
babies last time?", Dr. Akagi asked, holding Rei's hand.

 Ayanami nodded assent. "Yes.. You told me my children were already in
position for  the parturition."

"Exactly. Everything wil be all right, Rei-chan.I won't abandon you, even
for one minute.", Ritsuko promised to the young mother.

Rei smiled at Dr. Akagi with gratitude, while Misato was slowly heading
towards them, followed by Kaji, Yukito, and the two little girls.
"What's happened, Ritchan? How's Rei?", Misato questioned her friend.

"Labour pains have just started, and we must take her to the Geo-Front inner
hospital.", she said, while standing up.

"What are we supposed to do? Our cars are very far from here! Don't you
think we'd better call for an ambulance?"

Misato was very upset, noticing that Rei would have suffered from serious
complications because of her fragility, unless she was taken to the hospital
as soon as possible.

Touji shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea to call for an
ambulance. It would dreadfully bother the guests!"

" I think so." Ritsuko said. "We'd better move to the hall, so that Rei'll
be able to lie down, far from the guests' curiosity", she said.

Shinji assented, then he lifted Rei, holding her up with Yukito's help.

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm here with you!", Shinji whispered, meeting his
wife's  glance. She would given birth to their children within a few hours,
possibly within a few minutes. Their children.fruits of their love, which
had been won with difficulty.


Shinji couldn't but gaze at Rei, who returned his glance. Her look seemed to
soften for a moment.

"Rei-chan", Shinji uttered smiling.

"Shinchan. ..our children will be born in a little while."

 Shinji bent her head. "Yeah. Rei-chan.you've got to make an effort to
resist, for the time being. It's not time yet  for our children to come into
world. They must wait until we'll reach the hospital.

"I'll try, Shinchan. "Her eyes glistened with tears that were starting to
trickle outfrom her eyes.

Shinji couldn't reply, because Yukito begged for his attention again. "Kaji
's gone away for a moment, just to warn Nozomi and Kensuke about the
situation. We'd better hurry up and move to the hall. Possibly we'll have a
chance to phone for an ambulance from there, then get to the hospital. There
's not much time left.", Dr. Tsukishiro  admonished him, resting his hand on
Shinji's  shoulder, then turning to the blue-haired woman. "Everything will
turn out well in the end, for sure, dear!", he continued, ruffling Rei's
hair to distract her a bit.

Shinji nodded, then they went out of the room, supporting Rei all the way,
taking care not to attract the other guests attention.

"Whaaat?Are you serious, Mr. Ryouji?", the bride yelled with excitement,
having been informed by Kaji-san about the circumstances.

"Yeah.I'm sorry. My wife, my daughter and I have intention of seeing Rei and
Shinji to the hospital,  and so do Dr. Akagi and her husband, who will look
after the labour."

"No problem. You've nothing to apologize for. On the contrary! Give Shinji
and Rei our best wishes! We shall come and see her as soon as possible!",

"Ooohh.. TREASURE!! I wish I could go to the hospital now!! Shall we go,
Sweetie Magpie??", she cried out cheerfully, jumping all around just like a
little child, then hugging her husband's shoulders.

"But..how can you leave your guest alone?". Kaji was surprised by Nozomi's
absurd request.

Kensuke stared at her bride, who was looking at him pleadingly,her face
childishly sulky.

"Treasure..Mr. Kaji's got a point, Sweetie!We can't leave our guests this
way!"

Nozomi puffed. "Right.. You're right, Sweetie! We can't abandon them right
now. But I hope we'll be able to join you as soon as possible, at the
hospital!Ok?"

Kaji assented. "Of course. I'm sure everyone 'll be pleased with your
presence!"

*

"Very good,Rei-chan. Just relax your body,this way. Breath deeply..I'm sure
your pain will soften..",Ritsuko murmured,while setting next to Rei ,
wetting her face with the edge of a moistened handkerchief. Ayanami was
lying on one of the many sofas settled in the hall. She looked more at ease
while lying, despite  labour pains that had surely strenghtened, Rei-chan
seemed to endure it better than before.


"Sorry. This agency is also out of taxies.", the old doorkeeper said in a
grave
voice, after hanging up at the end of the conversation with a secretary from
a local cooperative supplying taxies. "They said there'll be no available
taxi before


02:00 AM. And I don't think you can wait that long."

Shinji's look was saddened. He had no idea how to solve the problem.

"What rotten luck!", dr. Tsukishiro uttered. He was beggining to be
seriously irritated

"I'm dreadfully sorry,really! Mostly for this poor girl who's suffering so
much! I can call our city hospital for an ambulance, if you don't mind.",the
hall porter suggested.

Ritsuko refused his offer. "No, it would be useless. It couldn't get here in
less than an hour."

Shinji sighed, and so did the hall porter. Ritsuko was trying to relieve Rei
's labour pains, urging her to breath regularly and relax. It was the only
thing the doctor could do to help her.

Nevertheless,Ayanami was worn. If they really wouldn't find a way to get her
to the Geo-Front inner hospital within a few of minutes, they would have to
prepare for an old-style childbirth!

To tell the truth, it wouldn't be the safest thing for Rei to give birth to
her children right there, without any proper medical apparatus. Surely, she
could rely on two expert doctors, yet they knew it would be a big risk ,
considering Ayanami's delicate health, to let her bear the children so
arduously.

Shinji stared at the luxurious door which closed off the hall from the rest
of the hotel. Misato and Kaji had stepped in the dining room, searching for
someone  who would lend them a car to take Rei to the hospital.

They weren't  back yet, which was increasing the others' anxiety.

"At this point", Ritsuko uttered regretfully,breaking the painful silence
which had suddenly  caught those present. " we have no choice but to take a
room for tonight, to let Rei give birth to her babies in this hotel.

Neither Shinji couldn't object to the scientist's words, so he bent his
head, then he prepared to accept the eventuality, but not without
disappointment.

Yukito nodded with sorrow. Just when he was about to ask the doorkeeper for
a room for that night, Ritsuko's mobile phone rang , which stopped him from
doing it.

Ritsuko reached her bag, which she had previously rested on the couch, then
she took out her mobile, which was playing a silly melody - 'Jingle Bells',
to be exact.

 Ritsuko stood up . "Excuse me for a moment, Rei-chan", she said before she
answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ritsuko! It's me!", Colonel Katsuragi's voice echoed through the mobile
receiver.

"Misato. Is there any news?", dr. Akagi inquired hopefully, praying for
Misato  to give her good tidings.

"Nope. Unfortunately!  Nothing at all.Kaji and I had thought to give you a
call in order to know if you had found a way to reach the hospital."

Ritsuko sighed. "Nope. Unfortunately! Nothing at all."

"Fucking hell! is it possible thatwe are not able to find even a scooter in
such a big  hotel? We're in state of emergency, yet we can't handle this!",
Misato yelled, giving a state of her rage.

"We thought the best advice's to rent a room for tonight, and let Rei bear
the children here."

"Here?But."

Ritsuko interrupted her friend. "I know we're destitute of any required
equipment. Yet, since we've got to to do this, it's of no use to make Rei
suffer, if we  can't find a way to take her to the hospital."

"Ooooh! Finally a Hotel!". While the sliding doors opened, a male voice
could be heard.

At those words, Shinji, Ritsuko and Yukito turned towards the sound source.
He was an almost 40 year old man, tall and slender, dressed in a NAVI
uniform. NAVI was a little bus-line in Neo-Tokyo 3.

Ritsuko experienced a deja-vù, soon as she gazed at the face of the entering
man. It seemed as she had never known him, yet he looked somehow familiar.

"How lucky! If only you knew!!", he happily yelled to the doorkeeper. "I was
terribly thirsty, and moreover I got tired, having been driving my bus all
day long. Luckily, I met a strange fellow, who showed me the way to this
hotel!Ooohhh!Thank heaven!!", the bus driver went on.

As soon as Ritsuko heard hi voice, she remembered who he was.


It was non less than Tokida Shiro, an engineer from Japan Heavy Industries
Corporation. He was the one responsible for the Jet Alone Project, which
failed  from an accident caused maliciously by Nerv . He was so different,


compared with his condition some years before. He had turned from a
brilliant engineer working for a big company like JHI, into an ordinary
bus-driver of a little local company. None of those, who took part in Jet
Alone project presentation,  could expect Mr. Tokida would have such a bad
fortune. Not even Nerv wold have expected such an utter disaster would hit
Japan Heavy Industries, after its sabotage.


*A bus-driver, isn't he?* Ritsuko,while stealthily looking at him, had a
sudden insight, which  might grant Rei a not so painful delivery.


She stood up, noticing the bus driver was heading towards the hotel pub.

"Shinji! Yuki! Stop that man! Quick!", she cried out, without any further
explanation. Ritsuko quickly dialed Misato's number on her own mobile. After
a ring, Misato answered.

"Misato!", the doctor yelled. "Come here! Hurry up! Maybe, there's a way
left to get to the hospital in time!"


A few minutes later..

"WHAAAAAAAT?? Are you crazy???". Tokida's voice was raised high in anger.

"I beg you!My wife's not well!", Shinji insisted, desperately begging him to
hear his plea for help.


"NO WAY! My shift was over at 9:00 PM, and I wouldn't drive the bus to take
anyone to Neo-Tokyo 3 for any reason, any reason I said! I'll start again
working at  07:00 clock in the morning!"

"But.this is an emergency! If she isn't be driven to the hospital within a
few minutes, we'll be compelled to make her give birth to the children
 here!", Yukito retorted.

"And then? I can't see the point! You're from the mythical special agency
called Nerv, aren't you?A birthing should be a child's play for  those who
resisted the Angels..", he sneered at them.


"Sorry for running late, folks! We got lost in the rooms of the Hotel, thus
we couldn't find our way back to the Hall!", Misato apologized, finally
returning with Kaji and Akane-chan.

"I told you we had to turn right!", Kaji uttered, casting a side-glance to
his wife.
Misato didn't hear him, luckily she approached Ritsuko,Shinji and Yukito,
who were hopelessly endeavoring to persuade the bus-driver. Kaji headed
towards the sofa where Tomoyo was sleeping,  then rested Akane-chan  on it,

taking care to not disturb the children's slumber. He finally looked at
Rei-chan, who was lying on the next couch. He stared at her, clenching her
teeth so as not to groan in pain, with her eyes closed,the collar of her
shirt soaked drop her constant sweating.


Kaji gave her a pitying look, then he tenderly drew near to her, unbuttoning
her  shirt collar, to uncover her neck. Nobody had  cared about that detail,
in the middle of such confusion

 Kaji-san moistened the handkerchief,which Ritsuko had used to wet Rei's
forehead, in the basin  put on the table, then he squeezed it properly,
finally leaning it upon Ayanami's forehead, to wipe the sweat from.

"Rei-chan", Kaji softly whispered to her.

"Kaji-san..Ka.. aaahh..", moaned Ayanami, straining to reply him.

Kaji soothed her, by saying. "Sshh..You'd better be silent."

Rei didn't listen to him, and went on asking: "Where's Shinji? I can't see
him!"

Kaji pointed his finger towards Shinji.

"He's over there, talking with a bus-driver to convince him to drive us to
the
hospital


Having heard his words, Rei closed her eyes again, maybe worn out with the
effort of speaking. She was doing her best to endure until her children
could be born safely

Not to make Rei more worried, the secret agent refrained from telling her
that the debate was becoming livelier, so that Misato, with a final outburst
of rage, had grasped  Tokida by his collar.


"NOW LISTEN TO ME, YOU WORM!!", she cried out irascibly, making him
turn pale with fear. "If you won't let us get on your bus at once, and won't
drive us to the hospital as fast as possible, not only will I report you to
the police for voluntary failure to assist, but also I'll compel you to be
Rei's obstetrician. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN???", Misato yelled, while
tightening her grasp on him, so that he couldn't even reply to her words.

"Misato! Let Tokida go!!", Shinji exclaimed. Misato complied with his
words,though she was not  eager to let him down. Colonel Katsuragi took a
step backwards, still keeping her death glare on Tokida.

"Shinji's gotta a point, Misato", Kaji said, coming closer to the group.

Tokida arranged his shirt collar. "You are crazy! All of you!", he uttered,
truly annoyed because of Misato's outrageous behaviore.

"I beg you!", Shinji implored him once again." I entreat you from the bottom
of my heart! Take us to the hospital! Ten years ago.all of us protected
mankind from the Angels' threat, always running the risk of dying , only
to save the other people's live. Now.she's aking for help.. Hadn't you
conceived Jet Alone to help human beings?", Shinji went on, trying to
conceal his tears of sorrow and rage.

"Let him go..Shinchan..I can bear my children here..aahh", Rei foolishly
stood up on her feet, drawing near to the others, when, all of a sudden,she
lost her balance , feeling a powerful new pang. Kaji caught her in time,
before she collapsed and and hit the floor.


"Rei!", everybody cried out , rushing over to her. Kaji took
her in his arms, and made her sit down  again on the couch.

"Rei-chan! You must not stand up!!", Ritsuko blamed her; she couldn't help
but hardening her tone of voice. Ayanami strained to recover from her
collapse more quickly than before, never minding about her friends' anxious
reproaches. On the contrary, she insisted on her point.

" I'm..I'm serious..I can give birth to my children here..I don't mind not
getting to the hospital. Take a room here.", she moaned. Her voiced had
mingled with her groans, since the pain was becoming unbearable. Once again,
silence fell upon the lounge.

Ritsuko, Misato, Kaji, Yukito and Shinji stared at each other, trying to
take a decision.

One thing was certain: they had to decide now

Misato was looking towards Tokida, her  facial expression conveying all her
blame for his cowardly meanness . Tokida stood still and frightened, when
the group  turned to him, asking him with their looks 'if they really had to
push things all the way.

Yukito, after having looked at Rei once again, bent his head with sorrow.
Dr.
Akagi took Rei's hand , while sighing. "Right. We'll take a room where you'
ll be able to bear your children. Everything's gonna to be  all right,
Rei-chan", she encouraged Ayanami, using words she herself couldn't
completely trust. At any rate, there was no choice left.

Rei nodded assent. "Yes..doctor.."

"Rei-chan..", Shinji cried, filled with fear.

Misato stood up from the couch next to the one where Rei was sitting, then
drew close to the counter. In back of it, was a show case displaying the
rooms keys.

At the counter stood the doorman, who, having listened at the argument, had
no need to be asked by Colonel Katsuragi for a room.
He readily handed her a key.

"Room 234. Fourth floor. The corridor on the left .Servants will take you
clean towels and basins of hot water very soon."

Misato took the key. "Thank you..we' re sorry for having bothered you."

" Wait a moment!" Before the doorman could deliver Colonel Katsuragi all the
documents to be signed  for renting the room, Tokida halted her, being
almost almost dead with shame, which had finally overcome the pride
preventing him helping them.

Misato turned to him without uttering one word.

Shiro Tokida winced under Misato's glance. "Err.Get on the bus, please! I'm
driving you to the Geo-Front!"


Shinji,Ritsuko and Yukito didn't expect such a sudden change of mind from
him, yet they needn't to be told twice. They all happily rose from the sofa,
Shinji taking Rei in his arms, with relief.


"Sweetheart!", Shinji cried out gaily,when Rei opened her eyes, fixing  her
eyes on him.

"We're getting to the hospital, finally!", he continued, restraining  his
desire to hug her for joy. Rei smiled warmly, though her grin was strained
by her difficult breathing.

Shinji kissed her hair lightly, then they went outside the hotel, towards
the parking lot.

Misato was alone still remained inside. She had completely changed her
attitude
towards Tokida. Indeed, she was smiling at him, giving her thanks to him.

Tokida couldn't reply to her words at once. Possibly, he was still
embarassed for having made them wait so much before he complied.

"Uhn? Er.It was nothing..", he faltered out, while drawing slovly towards
the exit . The hall porter smiled happily, replacing the key of room 234.

Strangely, once all of them had left, a white, swirling feather fell upon
the counter, passing totally unnoticed by anyone.


Ten minutes later ..

 "Faster! Faster!", Misato yelled, standing next to the driver, inspite of
the fact that  the bus was moving.


"But there's speed limit here! If the policemen nab us, we'll be in in deep
shit! And if someone from NAVI catches me around driving passengers  in the
night , they'll fire me, at least!"
 Poor Tokida complained; he was disconsolate, clasping the wheel even
tighter, fearing that he would meet the NAVI manager popping out of nowhere.

At the end of the bus,in the back row with the widest seats, was  Rei. Her
head resting upon Ritsuko's knees.  She was incessantly wetting Ayanami's
forehead, attempting to make her pain less severe.

"Be brave, Rei-chan! Resist  a little more..we're almost there".

"Ritchan! Look here!", Yukito burst out in alarm, while sitting at Rei's
feet."I think her water has broken!"


"What a bad luck! Right now!", doctor uttered, keeping calm. "Well, then!
Can't you speed up?", she yelled, so that Tokida could hear her words.

"I-CAN-T-EXCEED-THE-SPEED-LIMIT!!", Tokida snapped arrogantly, not
increasing the bus speed at all.


"But.this is an emergency! If we won't arrive in time, all our efforts will
be useless!", Shinji answered in despair.

"Don't worry, we'll reach the hospital anyway! Five minutes before, five
minutes later, what's the difference? AHHHHH!!"

"SHUT UP!! If you won't speed up, I'll speed up by myself!!", Misato yelled,
while treading harder on Tokida's foot, which was pushing on the
accelerator.

"ARE YOU CRAZY??", he yelled  trying to decelerate again.


"DON'T YOU DARE  SLOW DOWN, OK?? OTHERWISE YOU'LL HAVE
TO SETTLE IT WITH ME, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN??", Misato continued, greatly
vexed by his behavior. She surely could have intimidated a wild lion


"Yeah..yeah..", he complied, gathering speed again, having been frightened
by Misato's fury.

"How much longer will it take to reach the GeoFront?", Yukito asked, being
rather worried.

"It won't take that long, be quiet! We'll be there within five minutes!",
Misato answered.

"Pull yourself together! I pray you, Rei-chan!", Shinji whispered very
scared, straining to bear having to see Rei  that way. Shinji was clasping
her hand with both of his hands.

Finally, some minutes later, they arrived at the Geo-Front. The first one
who got off the bus was Yukito, who helped Shinji get Rei down. Then Misato
and Ritsuko dismounted from the vehicle.


"HEY!! Are you leaving this way?? Without even thanking me??", Tokida yelled
in anger.He hoped he would have extra earnings for his overtime work.

"Sorry", said Kaji, who was the last to get off, while taking Akane and
Tomoyo in his arms, with a little effort. "As you can see, my arms are too
busy to put my hand in the pocket.", Kaji answered earnestly. Inspite of the
fact that it was a silly, pretext, it worked well.


"HRMPHH!!", Tokida crossed his arms, very pissed off. "I was compelled to
drive my bus at 1:30 AM, covering 12 kilometers, slopes and curves, and that
's the way you thank me.. That's funny, really funny! I always said this
this job's not good for me."

"Come on! Cheer up! I promise to you I'll put in a word so you can join
Nerv. Are you happy?", Kaji taunted him.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?? I'm very happy!! I'll let you have my curriculum vitae,
if you don't mind! I'm a brilliant engineer, do you know?"

"All right, all right! I'll let you know. Now I gotta go. I'm late, my wife
and the others have already got into the hospital, and the children might
catch a cold since the bus door is wide open. We'll see, and sorry if we
spoilt your night!",

Kaji said, being on the point of getting off the bus.

"Oh..No problem! You didn't bother me at all!Please, don't forget to let me
know what Nerv thinks about my curriculum, won't you?", Tokida uttered like
a bootlicker, changing his mood automatically.

"What a toady!", Kaji thought, before saying goodbye to the fawning
bus-driver again. He finally got off the bus, running towards the entry to
the Geo-Front.

"Mmmm.. What a luck!  It's always been my dream to  be able to work for
Nerv.I felt so envious of that magnificent agency..eeeeeetciù!!" Tokida's
outburst of joy was interrupted by a sneeze.

Tokida rubbed his nose with his finger.

"What's up? Is there a bird around? That was an allergic sneeze! *SNIFF*I
only hope one of them doesn't own a bird!"

There was no bird, to be  sure. Yet, another feather,similar to the one
lying on  the hall counter, was silently balanced right upon the bus wheel.

END OF THE FOURTH CHAPTER- PART TWO

*********Author Note**********

~*~ Yeah...it sounds a bit strange that their cars was too far from the
Hotel, but I didn't have any other idea about it^_^;;

~*~ Many thanks to Faby-chan for this translation and many thanks to Jason
Carter too for the corrections^_^;;

~*~ Do not forget to review, please! My email address is reichan@inwind.it
^^

AGAIN:DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!

From: "Rei-chan" <reichanSPAMFREE@inwind.it>

"Opening The Future Doors"
Fourth chapter-Part three-

.................

/Tick. tick. tick. tick



The only perceivable noise in the maternity waiting room of Nerv's hospital
was the ticking from the pendulum clock, which hung up the wall. Everything
else had been standing , since Ritsuko and Yukito had entered the delivery
room, escorted by other doctors and nurses employed on the Base, who had
helped them in carrying Rei.

Althrough kind of drowsy, Shinji was staring at the moves of the pendulum
clock straight before him; possibly, in that very moment, he was the most
anxious person in the world..

Just next to him, there was Misato, sitting on the couch. Even the Major
could not help being worried; still she tried not to show her anxiety, in
order not to make Shinji's emotional state worse.

"Huff! Where the hell is Kaji!? I am starting to believe that he got lost
somewhere in the Base facilities....", Misato said, disappointed by the
silence hanging between them; then she leaned her hands on the nape of her
neck, crossing her fingers.

Anyway, Shinji had not recovered from his daydreaming, since he stood
motionless, looking like he was sunk  into oblivion, twenty thousand leagues
under his cares. He had not at all paid attention to Misato, which she had
not considered him blameable for; on the contrary, she  had kept on smiling
broadly at her little Shinji.

He was about to hit the target, by achieving the main goal in life.

"Puff! I'm coming!", Kaji said in a huff, while popping out of a corner,
coming from the corridor. The two sleeping children still rested in Ryouji's
arms, with their heads leaned upon his shoulders, their arms and legs
hanging down.

"Kaji! Where have you been!?", Misato asked in surprise.

Ryouji sniggered, approaching his wife." I guess I got lost once again.."

"I should have figured!", she answered, extending her arms towards her
husband.  "Dear, just hand me Akane-chan". Misato offered to help  her
husband, noticing his efforts to support the children's' weight

Given the fact that Kaji-san had his other arm busy in sustaining
Tomoyo-chan, he could not give  his wife Akane ; therefore, he was limited
to bringing his arm near her: she grasped his intention, and gently  took
the child from her husband.

Unluckily, it all disturbed Akane's slumber.

"Mummyyy...what's that light!? Where are we, mummy!?", sounded a shrill
voice from Drowsyland. She had to close her eyelids, bothered by the
blinding halogen light filling the room. A rude awakening had been added to
the numbers of disturbances  the little girl had to go through, all along
that hectic night.

Misato nestled her daughter's face against her chest, trying to shelter her
eyes from the lamp glare.

"We'll be back home soon. Please, sleep dear...", Misato fondly whispered,
rocking her to sleep. Akane indulged her mother's wish, falling asleep
again, still pressed against Misato's chest. Kaji sat down between Shinji
and his wife, arranging Tomoyo-chan comfortably in his arms.

"Did you tell Ritsuko and Yukito that her daughter is here with us?", Kaji
questioned his wife, while he took care to blanket Tomoyo's shoulders under
his own jacket, so that she did not catch a cold.

"I didn't tell them. I guessed they'd  figure it out. ", Misato averred,
mimicking Kaji's gesture, by taking off the light coat she wore over her
dark blue dress, then covering her daughter with it. It was then that Shinji
removed his own jacket,  offering it to her former guardian with gallantry.

"Take it, Misato-san!", he said. Somehow, Misato was surprised by his
gesture. Shinji's kindness had overwhelmed his anxiety, she thought.

"Domou arigatou, Shinchan."

Shinji smiled back at her, then he sunk again into the depths of his
thoughts; he had just changed his main focus, averting his attention from
the little bronze pendulum hanging on the wall, to concentrate on the person
of Kaji-san.

It didn't take that long for Ryouji to notice Shinji's intense glances
towards him.

 "Hey, Buddy! Are you dreaming about what your children will be like?!",
Kaji asked with a hint of irony.

Hearing those words, Ikari recovered himself from Wonderland. "Kaji-san..."
Shinji finally gave up his worries, staring at his interlocutor
melancholically.

Kaji smiled "Lo! An upcoming father, getting sleepy on the very night when
his children will be born!", he emphatically said.

"Right now, I would be alright with everything but feeling so dizzy!",
Shinji retorted, while nervously crossing his fingers. He finally leaned
back, getting involved again in his troublesome cares.

Kaji rested his free hand upon Shinji's shoulder.

"You'd better relax, Shin-chan. That's not good to get so nervous in such a
circumstance! You're going to live one of the best moments in your life! You
definitely can't let this anxiety of yours waste it all!" Kaji uttered.

"I know it, still I can't help feeling like this...", Shinji whispered.

 "What about going to the bar and having something? I can't assure you there
's someone there, since Kensuke and Nozomi invited nearly anyone employed at
the Base to their wedding... Still I guess wandering around will possibly be
of some use in calming you down."

Shinji reflected for a  moment  upon Kaji's suggestion, then he consented to
have a break. Shinji nodded repeatedly, before rising from the bench slowly.

"You're making sense, Kaji-san..", he answered, bending to Kaji and Misato.

She was still gazing at Ikari-kun, her glance filled with compassion.

"I guess having a walk is definitely ok for me.". The young man made an
effort to smile, while saying those words unwillingly, doubtfully.

Kaji nodded assent  " Why don't you have a coffee ? Just to remain awake...
A coffee sounds very good, when it's half past two in the night!",
he added, meaning to relieve the tension.

Shinji didn't say a word, but just kept on staring at Kaji for some moments,
with the same worried look he had been displaying since they'd arrived to
the hospital. Finally he  headed towards the lift, which was 50 meters far.

"Poor little Shinji... He's so scared..", whispered Misato, with her eyes
following Shinji-kun, while he moved towards the elevator.

 "That's right..", Kaji agreed with his wife's words.  "..Still he made his
effort best to be brave and strong in front of us, and of Rei-chan, most of
all. This too is a brave action. Just like the way he acted aboard the
Evas."

"We did it.." Shinji whispered to himself, looking at the fist he was
clenching and unclenching compulsively,  while the lift was slowly going
down to the lower floors of the huge facilities.

He raised his eyes, reading the pointer, which indicated "7th floor".

"Once upon a time  I found myself in this very lift......", he unconsciously
whispered to himself *...how many things happened inside here..*

\\FLASHBACK\\

*....10 years ago Ikari-kun was a shy, insecure fourteen year old boy. The
scene fades to the inside of an elevator; Shinji is talking to Rei..*

" Do you know? This morning..at school... when we were cleaning  our
classroom up.. I observed you.... I thought you looked like a mother..",
Shinji uttered unusually.

"A...mother?", the blue-eyed girl faltered in awe. Her muttered words had
let her  suppressed emotions carelessly leak out. Whenever it happened,
anyone but Shinji ignored what was hidden in her heart.

 "Yup!", the young man assented with a timid smile, which softened his look
..

"The way you wrung  the cloth..it reminded me of a mother's attitude..", he
smiled before going on speaking.

"I guess you would be a good mother !"

//END FLASHBACK//

When the lift stopped with a ring at the floor he was headed to,  Shinji's
mind came back to the present day

" Who could imagine my dream would become reality, and I would find myself
in the same elevator, looking back to that distant day?.." At that thought,
he smiled sweetly, as he did ten years ago, while talking to Rei.

"Rei-chan..."

Once the lift doors opened at the second floor, there appeared the bar,
which was daily frequented by all the Nerv staff. Shinji remembered a more
recent dialogue, the one that took place on his wedding eve.

In that occurrence, a trembling-voiced Rei scarily to confessed him it was
impossible for her to have children, her cheeks getting wet by slow and
silent tears.

\\FLASHBACK\\

The cold evening breeze passed through Misato's apartment solarium. It was
the only place where they  could withdraw from the fevered party  for their
Farewell to Celibacy.

"Will you marry me.anyhow.?..", she whispered to Shinji, her words broken by
tears. He was staring at her, being astonished at the sad thought Rei had
been able to conceive: she had even doubted  the wedding promise he had made
her.

Shinji pulled Rei by her arm, bringing her near to him.

He was not so kind, drawing her to himself so harshly; still he couldn't
suffer Rei's words, and he wished to reassure her as soon as possible. At
once. Immediately. So hurriedly that soon would be too late.

"Of course! I obviously want to marry you, Rei!!" he exclaimed, hugging her
as intensely as possible, hushing up her crying.

"I'm not marrying you so that you could give birth to my sons, I'm doing it
'cause I love you! Anata wa suki desu, Rei-chan! Nothing else matters to me,
but you! Nothing more!!"

"Shin..chan..." She nestled her face against his chest, while tightly
clasping his shirt with her hands "Since I can't give you children...am I
still a woman?", she went on speaking.

 "Stop it!" Shinji shushed her in reproach, "Rei! I don't mind it! I..I love
you as you are! And.." Shinji's voice was gradually softening, while he
finished his sentence "..our love won't be defined by the absence of
children"

Once he had finished his sentence, Shinji smiled. It was hard to believe
that smile came from the same person who had spoken just before in such an
authoritative tone.

Rei lifted her eyes, and watched at him in an astonished way, without
leaving her place at Shinj's chest. "Are..are you sincere, Shinji?", she
answered, slowly stopping to cry.

The guy nodded "I swear it, Rei-chan.."


*

//END FLASHBACK//

*How contradictory..*

Shinji mumbled, proceeding along the corridor, undisturbed. *Since then, I
knew for sure we couldn't have sons. I got used to it. So I almost fainted,
when Rei gave me the good news. Nine long months has passed, And now, this
is the moment. All this time looked never-ending to me..*

When he finally arrived to the Geo-Front bar, he woke up from his train of
thoughts.

Unfortunately, a gate barred the entry. Shinji stopped for a moment. He was
quite surprised to find it shut. He went on towards the grating, advancing a
few paces; once he was near enough, he leant his hands on the gate, his
fingers grasping its diagonal bars.

"Closed.", he said, eyeing through the grating.

The bar was still lightened inside, despite it was totally empty and still.

 *..It resembles my heart as it used to be: shut down, despite the fact that
it was filled with light..*

Shinji understood there was no time left to wander in Dreamland. He'd better
move up to the hospital.

The young man turned to his side, noticing a long row of various vending
machines,  not far away from the lift exit. Drinks, snacks, hot drinks, ice
creams: they were suited to any  taste. There was no precooked food
available, since Nerv's restaurant was on the upside floor.

Shinji approached the hot-drinks machine. There were even aromatic drinks,
like rose tea. Yet Shinji opted for a classic beverage; after inserting a
loose coin he had found inside his trousers pockets, he forcibly pressed the
button, waiting for his milky-espresso. Then he inserted two more coins, to
have a coffee for Misato and Kaji, as a token of thanking for having
suggested that he take a walk, which had really improved his mood: Nerv's
Vice-Commander felt quite relaxed now.

The vending-machine quickly poured three coffees into the paper-cups; Shinji
slightly bent down to pick them up, arranging them so he could carry them
without spilling them on the floor.  Shinji was applying a tiny cover on the
border of the last cup left, when he suddenly felt a light wild breeze, as
if someone had passed just next to him.  He turned in amazement: was there
anyone right there besides him? Wasn't he all alone?

He looked all around himself once again; there was no one  except him and
'Lord Silence', which reigned uncontested.save that some rustles eventually
ripped its surface.

Shinji saw only one moving thing, which suddenly caught his attention: it
was a lightly flatting feather, which wandered under the young man's nose,
then rested upon the border of the still uncovered coffee cup. It was within
a hair's breadth of  sinking into the hot drink.

Shinji's eyes were fixed directly on the standing feather; he took care not
to shift its position by breathing. He stared at it in astonishment for some
moments, being almost frightened. What the heck ..was a bird down supposed
to be in  a place like that?..

Shinji swallowed to clear the lump in his throat, then he took it,
collecting all his bravery, bringing it nearer to his eyes. He  held it up
to the light, having the mild feeling that there was something strange about
it.

What was in Ikari's mind?

It was definitely an harmless feather, after all; according to its size, one
could have argue it belonged to a quite big bird...

What if that bird didn't chirp?

Shinji Ikari gave another look around himself, then he looked upwards..
since it  had feathers, one could figure it also had wings..consequently, it
was supposed to fly.

Still he  saw nothing, while staring at the ceiling: no signal, no message,
and no clue..nothing at all could help him to find out whom this unusual
feather belonged to.

Shinji didn't notice anything particular. All but that feather had remained
unchanged around him. He turned back again; still, when he watched at the
feather again, what he saw impressed him more than being face to face with
its  owner.  It was not there anymore.

The down had disappeared in his hands. Before guessing haphazardly about the
true mystery, he turned his glance towards the floor, and the coffee cups.
Maybe it had simply fallen down. Yet it was not like that: it had vanished,
as Shinji exactly knew. He couldn't say why he run away out of the blue,
headed to the lift, after having quickly capped the coffee cup.

Both anxiety and firmness were showing up on his face. He hurried to the
lift doors, which swiftly opened. He jumped in, then pressed the button
leading to the 7th floor, the one hosting the Nerv Internal Hospital.

*

In the meanwhile, inside of the operating theatre, which possibly was more
hectic than ever, Ritsuko, Yukito and the other doctors were finally allowed
to sigh in relief and take a moment of rest. Dr. Akagi began to slip her
gloves off, followed by the rest of the medical staff.

"We did a great job...", doctor Tsukishiro exclaimed with resolution: he
faced this kind of emergency daily, since he was a certified surgeon. He
stared at his wife, who smiled at him, nodding.

"Congratulations!" Ritsuko waited for a smiling assent from the other
doctors, who were taking off their coats.  Then she approached again the
person who had been the reason for that night feverish activity: Rei Ikari
Ayanami. She was lying on a bed: maybe she had been the first sighing in
relief. The brand new mother was panting because of the recent effort, her
eyes shut, her face was moist with sweat: the twin's birth had not been that
easy  for her...

Ritsuko stared at the young woman for some moments, then she smiled, resting
her hand on Rei's forehead.

"Rei-chan, Are you all right?",

Rei couldn't even talk; despite her pain, she succeeded in opening her eyes,
as a showing of her assent. Ritsuko's hand moved Rei's hair from her
forehead.

"You did wonderfully, Rei-chan. Everything turned out well, and we owe it to
you.", she averred while caressing Ayanami.

Rei made an effort to reply, yet it was of no use: she had spent all her
strength in giving birth to her sons. Ritsuko could see it better than
anyone. So Yukito, Maya, and the rest of the staff didn't complain at all
about Dr. Akagi not allowing the mother to take the children in her arms
just after the labour, given her distress.

Rei could not even keep her eyes opened; so the doctors thought it would be
better showing her the children later, once she would regain her strength.

"Have a rest now, please, Rei-chan. From now on, we'll manage everything,
you know? Just worry about recovering..."

Yukito joined the talking " You gave birth to two wonderful babies,
Rei-chan!"

Rei gave Yukito a questioning look, then he turned her eyes again to Dr.
Akagi. "That's true; today has been a wonderful day, for Shinchan and
yourself. You gave birth to a male and a female."

At those words, Rei couldn't help but make the tiniest of the smiles.  She
willingly yielded Rituko's suggest, indulging in a little rest. So she
closed her eyes and then she felt asleep, while her look slowly softened.

Ritsuko moved Rei's hair, hanging on her face, behind her ears. After that
she turned her gaze towards the other doctors.

"Carry her to the ward, please, and let her have a quiet rest. She's totally
exhausted!"

"Ok, Doctor Akagi!", chorused the doctors, hurrying to set up a stretcher to
carry Rei with.

In the room's corner, there was a young woman, dressed in a coat, who was
very busy about something.

"I did it...", she softly whispered, while making a very tiny hand pass
through the equally tiny sleeve of his white-coloured cotton overalls.

"I'm done with you, baby." Maya Ibuki smiled, while lifting in front of her
one of the two people responsible for that  unbelievable night.  One couldn'
t relate how sweet and tender  the creature Maya-san held in looked her
arms. He was a blue-dressed baby; his eyes shut, the baby child was asleep,
just like his pink-dressed sis, who was still in her swaddling bands, with
her fists clenched tightly in front of her face, the tiniest threads of blue
hanging over it: she had the same hair colour as her mother.

Maya was almost touched; they reminded her of her little Fuu-Tien, whom she
had entrusted to her husband; possibly, both of them were asleep by then.
Maya leant this baby too upon the bed, waiting for someone to bring the
cradles.

"Senpai, I'm done!" Doctor Ibuki exclaimed, turning towards Ritsuko.

Doctor Akagi headed over to Maya. "Is it all right, Maya?"

 "Yes, Senpai! Both the children are healthy; I signed their weight both on
the clinical board, and the identification bracelet."

"Perfect. Thank you, Maya." Ritsuko couldn't help but fix her gaze on the
babies.  They looked so tender, while sleeping next to each other,
resembling two angels fallen down from the sky.

"They are the sweetest thing, aren't they?", doctor Akagi said with a smile,
caressing the childrens' bodies.

Maya nodded "Yup. They are really two wonderful babies. They are very like
their parents."

"Yeah. I'm so happy Rei could give their sons what she couldn't have for
herself.", Ritsuko whispered, her hand rubbing the children's velvet
overalls, a sad thought forming in her mind.

Maya stared at her in surprise "What are you talking about, Senpai?",
wondered Doctor Ibuki.

Ritsuko tried not to give vent to the tears forming in her eyes, just to
hide them from her friend "Uh..never mind, Maya..", she exclaimed, turning
her face again towards the babies, whose sight of whom turned into happiness
the melancholy surrounding the doctor.

*

"Come on! Come on!!", yelled Shinji, trying  to make the lift doors open up
quickly. He couldn't say why he was so hurried; he only knew something had
happened to Rei-chan. Something he couldn't guess; he just had to get to
where she was.

Nerv's vice-commander finally got out of the lift, rushing towards the
corridor, which seemed quite calm. Misato was in sight, sitting in the
lounge, while rocking her crossed legs, holding Akane in her arms. Ryouji
was next to her, holding Tomoyo-chan. Neither Katsuragi nor Kaji  noticed
that Shinji was approaching them. He slowly paced, keeping his gaze fixed to
the distance.
It all looked changeless, yet he felt something was occurring.

"Ah! Shinchan!",  yelled Misato, realizing Shinji's presence. "Are you back
already!?"

"Yeah...", Shinji answered in dismay, while continuing to look around
himself, as if he was in search for something, his eyes filled with anxiety.

" As far as I can see, your walk's not been that relaxing, ne, Shinji-kun?",
Kaji uttered ironically, observing that his advice had not made things
better.

*..Possibly he needed a camomile tea more than a coffee...*, he thought to
himself.

"Nope..on the contrary.. something special's happened?!", Shinji said,
revealing his omen, which quite dumbfounded Misato and Kaji.

"Well... while you were away, Dr. Ibuki came here in a hurry, volunteering
to help Ritsuko and Yukito in the labour. Nothing more.", Kaji answered.

 "Oh..." Shinji let out a disappointed sigh, fixing his gaze again at the
door, which came between the lounge and the maternity ward. He felt the heat
coming  from the coffee in his hand, which was now unbearable to suffer
anymore: so he remembered it, and offered the hot drinks to Misato and Kaji,
with a slight smile

"I've almost forgot it. I took some coffee for you too."

"Oh! Arigatou gozaimasu, Shin-chan! I really need it!", answered Kaji

"Me too! I  was on the verge of falling asleep!", Misato said cheerfully.
"hmm..does the alcohol vending machine still work?"

"Alcohol is not allowed inside the Nerv facilities, Colonel Katsuragi!"

Shinji put on an authoritative tone for a while, asserting his own rank: yet
it was a joke, which everybody grasped at once. Shinji would have never ever
behaved as his father used to. Colonel Katsuragi had to make a certain
effort not to burst out laughing: seeing a firm Shinji was such a rare
thing!

"Come on and sit down here, Shinchan. Why are you standing?" Misato said
happily.

Shinji assented and sat down, still he was somehow dumbfounded: there was
something bothering him, besides the long waiting. Both Misato and Kaji
noticed it; they were about to ask him what was wrong, when the huge door
next to them opened with a sudden shriek; which made the three of them turn
abruptly, yet more synchronously than two Evangelions could.

Ritsuko came out of the maternal ward, followed by Yukito and rest of the
surgical equipe.

Shinji was overwhelmed by sheer terror, without even understanding why, so
that he didn't dare raise his eyes to meet Rit-chan's look. He felt as if
the world started whirling, crazily. He saw Misato rising from her seat; she
touched his forearm.

"Shinji, get up....."

Shinji did not react at those words, being overcome by scary emotions.

His guardian's face was relaxed. She was already chattering with her
friend...what were they talking about.

Indistinct words came to Shinji's ears: to him, everything looked hazy. He
couldn't even stand up, because of his fear. It was then Ritsuko addressed
him: "Shinji?".

She had called for his attention. Everybody's eyes turned towards him.

"Ha..hai...", he swallowed, getting ready to listen to the doctor's
response. Millions of thoughts crowded throught his mind out of the blue.
His whole life passed in front of his eyes, making everything even more
blurred.

Ritsuko smiled "Everything 's all right, Shinchan. Rei-chan did not suffer a
lot..."

"...and the babies are in a very good health!", Doctor Tsukishiro added
happily, while slowly moving forward. Were those the words that Shinji-kun
had wished he could listen to? Nobody knew...yet they amazed him so much
that he stood speechless, his eyes starting  to sparkle. He would have said
a billion words! Still there was something restraining him. He didn't know
how to start; his hand was trembling, as it never did. He was shivering. In
that very moment, he had become a father.

Ritsuko, Misato, Kaji, Yukito, even the whole medical equipe standing on the
threshold, smiled sweetly at seeing the young man behave like that.

"Watashi...", he could only stammer in disbelief.

The oddest thing was the little Akane and Tomoyo, who were still asleep,
despite all that turmoil, lying on two armchairs. Just before, Misato and
Kaji had rested them on the chairs, placed on the other wall. Shinji was so
tenderly shy, while showing his own worry. Such a miracle was too much for
him.

 "Won't you come and give a look at your wife, Shinji? By now, she's the
mother of two babies......", Ritchan turned to him smiling. Shinji stood in
the middle of the corridor, where his main focus lay: his entire inner
universe collapsed before the only thing he could feel. Shinji felt like
being dragged away...

' your wife..mother...children..'

He saw everyone around himself smiling, he heard Kaji congratulating him..

The door, which Rei was behind, was turning ajar. He would enter it
soon...everything was accomplished, by then. There was nothing more to be
scared about...

All sounded died. He tried to step forward: it felt like floating. He felt
Misato hugging him by his waist, and then carrying him forward. Still there
was something else. His eyes blurred, while he perceived an odd buzzing.

When he turned, it was like he had leant his head on a cushion; as if he
could see through the wall at his left... There was someone, someone he knew
well.. a young man smiling to himself, his back rested against the wall.

"Kaworu-kun...", he whispered...

Kaji-san  heard him; he was about to tell Shin-chan something, when he had
about to sustain Shin-chan, who had suddenly lost his balance.

 "Shinji-kun!!", Misato yelled , while the whole group bent over Shinji, who
was lying on the floor, unconscious, being held up only by Kaji's arms.

"Calm down, he's only fainted.", Yukito reassured everybody. "The distress
overwhelmed him. Poor boy.."

Everybody relaxed at those words, while Yukito and the other doctors were
helping Kaji to hold up the brand new father, and bring him to a room next
to there, where Shinji could come round.

"We might have expect it. Let's make him sleep in the room next to the one
where Rei is. He'll wake up by himself soon.", Doctor Tsukishiro said,
explaining to the other doctors what to do with Shinji.

"Yeah! I think a good sleep will be of great use to Shinchan, in order to
get over the stress he accumulated tonight...", Ritsuko added by his turn.

Then the doctors went away, together with Kaji and Yukito who brought Shinji
to the nearest maternity ward, to let him rest on a bed. Both Doctor Akagi
and Colonel Katsuragi sat down. Their look settled upon their respective
daughters, who were still sleeping on the facing armchairs.

"Tomoyo and Akane are still asleep..", doctor Akagi exclaimed, with relief.

 "Yeah. At least, the two of them have been sleeping all night long, without
noticing anything at all!", Misato added by her turn.

 "All night long? I wonder what time is it..", Ritsuko questioned
doubtfully. One could tell by her look how tired she was, after spending the
last few hours like that.

"It's almost forty past three.", Misato declared, after comparing her watch
hands with the pendulum clock ones.

The scientist leant her hand on her face. "Phew! I had lost my sense of
time."

Colonel Katsuragi smiled at Ritsuko, then she leant her hand on her friend's
face. "What about having some rest? You also are very tired, Rit-chan."

Ritsuko swiftly moved her hand from her face, trying to put her fatigue
aside. "No, I definitely can't,  Misa-chan. Rei has just given birth to her
children, and I can't get away from here, right now."

"By the way, how is Rei?", Misato answered in a worried tone.

"Rei-chan's all right, luckily, but she needs a lot of rest, by now. She's
more exhausted than all of us. It was a troublesome labour, still everything
's turned out well: and this is the most important thing." Ritsuko smiled
once she finished  speaking, while stroking Tomoyo's long purple hair,
absent-mindedly.

"Yup. I was so scared Rei could suffer from complications, because of this
night's turmoil.", Misato said, being reassured by her best friend's words.

 "What about the babies!?", she added after a pause.

"They're two wonderful babies...", doctor Akagi answered, using a sweet tone
of voice. " The ultrasounds were not deceptive: they are different sex
twins, a female and a male."

At those words, Misato's look and voice softened even more. "I can figure
they are tender. I'm looking forward to see them."

"That's true. They're so tender! And so healthy, considering  it  as a
premature birth.. there were 26 days left... The female one is slightly
lighter than the male, but it's only a few grams, nothing to worry about. I
saw worse than it."

"Yeah. Do you remember when Akane was born? Her weight was barely 1 Kg and a
half."

"That's what I meant, Misa-chan. By the way, Rei-chan will totally recover
in a few days. She must stay absolutely at rest."

"I see. I feel so glad for her and Shin-chan.."

"That's how we all feel, my friend.. ."

Misato stood up abruptly, with a smile on her face. "Come on! Let's have a
coffee! At least, it will awake us for a bit."

Shinji Ikari, Nerv 's brand new vice-commander, was still lying senseless on
a ward bed. In the next room Rei was sleeping. Though he had fainted, Shinji
felt like dreaming  an odd dream.

He looked around himself. He found himself in a place, which looked deeply
covered by snow. A street in suburbia. A church roof and belfry, which had
obviously turned white.

Shinji recognized that place. What the hell was he doing there?

"Shinji.." Someone calling his name, making Ikari suddenly turn towards the
voice source.

There was a young man, sitting on a bench. His hair was silver.He was
smiling and staring at Shinji-kun.

In spite of the snow blanket spreading all over, the silver-haired guy was
dressed in summer clothes: he looked like he was  not suffering because of
the chill.

 He held a big feather in his hands. It looked like the one which had leant
over Shinj's coffee cup from the vending machine.

Ikari-kun recognized the young man playing with the down.

"That's you, Kaworu-kun..", he whispered in surprise, keeping his eyes over
Nagisa.

"Did it take that long to you, just to notice me? I have been trying all
night long to give you signs of my presence", he averred quietly,
reassuringly.

" Signs..?."

"Right. Life's a sign, Shinji-kun. What you gave me is a sign. What I gave
you is a sign."

"What reason are you doing this for, Kaworu? What's in your mind?"

Kaworu raised his red eyes to Shinji: they were so similar to Rei's ones..

" Just to thank you, Ikari-kun..." Kaworu hit his friend's heart once again,
though Shinji couldn't grasp the meaning hidden in Nagisa's swords.

They usually unfolded like a poem without paraphrase. Anyhow, they filled
every single space left behind inside him.

He tried to mutter a reply, yet his voice was like "suppressed" by floating
feathers falling down the sky like snow.

Once they disappeared, everything fazed out, as if that unusual snow had
swept it away.

Kaworu too disappeared, last.

6:00 AM


"Shinji!? Hey! Shinji!!" Kaji's utterance broke the silence of the dream,
bringing Shinji back to reality.


"Wake up!",Ryouji added, while shaking Ikari-kun by his shoulder.


Bothered by it, Shinji finally opened his eyes "What's up!?."

"What do you mean what's up!?!?!?! You've just become a father, and the best
you think is to sleep!?", he said with a hint of irony.

Shinji Ikari sat down on the bed, while lazily rubbing his eyes

"Did I become a father?" It was as if his mind had erased for a moment all
that night's happenings.

 Yet he regained consciousness of them at once, which didn't calm him down.

"Oh my! Rei-chan!!", Shinji exclaimed, shifting the blankets, then getting
down from the bed hurriedly.

"Just calm down, Shin-chan! No reason to be alarmed!!", Kaji uttered,
grabbing Ikari-kun by his shoulders, firmly, restraining him from doing God
knows what.

"Is she all right?! Are you sure?! Where's she, now!?", he inquired of Kaji
nervously, while cold sweat drops came down his face, because of the newly
upcoming fear.

"Just in the same place you are. In the third room of maternal ward, here at
the Base hospital."

"What..". He couldn't see what was happening to himself, till he became
aware he positively was in a hospital room. Shinji blushed furiously. "Oh,
my! Don't tell me I am.."

" ..In a room of the maternal ward!", Kaji interrupted his speech.

  Ryouji finally smiled, clearing his throat. "Please, Mr. Ikari..Would you
tell us what's like for a man to be admitted to a strictly female ward?",
Ryouji questioned him, pretending he was an interviewer, while Shinji's face
was getting more and more scarlet.

"What a shame..", he cried, while trying to cover his face under the
blankets.

Kaji patted him, to his comfort " Gambare, Ikari-kun! Just don't behave like
this! You should be glad, after all. You will possibly go into the Book of
Records!"

" I can believe it...", he muttered uncomfortably.

"Please, come along with me, Shinji. I wanna show you something", Kaji
happily whispered, while standing up.

"I wish I could see my wife!", he said hopefully.

"I think it's still impossible, Shinji. I heard

Ritsuko talking to Misato before about  Rei.."

"What's wrong with her?!?!", he asked in alarm, before Kaji could finish his
sentence.

"She's only having a rest, and it would be better if you didn't disturb
her.", he quietly said, his look softening while it crossed Shinji's worried
eyes.

"I see. May I see her later?", he asked again, pleadingly. Shinji was so
eager to see his wife again, that he had almost forgotten why they had spent
all night there.

Kaji nodded "Yes, I suppose. While away, I'll show you something else
delightful to you.", he added in amusement.

"Are you..are you serious?", Shinji answered surprisedly.

" Just follow me."



End of  IV chapter, part three.




To be continued...

*********

~*~  *relief sigh* Finally this chapter's out!^_^; I just can't believe
it!I'm that it has took too long, but try to understand...it's really hard
for me have a fanfiction translated...T_T

~*~ I hope you'll like this chapter. The next will be the last chapter of
this fanfiction (I hope that I'll get it sooner than this one!)

~*~ Many thanks to Faby-chan for this translation and many thanks to Jason
Carter too for the corrections!^__^ THANK YOU!^O^

~*~ C&C are welcome!:) And as usual..DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!^-^

~*~ Please email me if you wanna tell me something: reichan@inwind.it or
visit my website http://members.tripod.it/aoitears

Bye!^o^
Rei-chan ~*Rei-chan*~


*: : :aoi tears: : :*
http://members.tripod.it/aoitears
Andate a vedere il mio nuovo sito dedicato
alle mie fanfiction su Evangelion!!^^

~*"Stella che brilli nel mio petto, continua a brillare e donami la tua
forza.."*~
From- Sailor Moon SuperS Manga- Final-


--
~*Rei-chan*~

*: : :aoi tears: : :*
http://members.tripod.it/aoitears
Andate a vedere il mio nuovo sito dedicato
alle mie fanfiction su Evangelion!!^^

~*"Stella che brilli nel mio petto, continua a brillare e donami la tua
forza.."*~
From- Sailor Moon SuperS Manga- Final-