Dream A Little Dream Of Me
By ArchangelUK

I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Neither do I own this *pats the Evangelion sitting in his garage fondly* I'm... err... just borrowing it on a permanent basis. *Clears throat and looks around nervously for any NERV intelligence agents*

It had been a most odd request, Gendo Ikari noted as he reviewed the formal document in front of him. The Commander flexed his gloved fingers against themselves and with the tip of his right index finger pushed his glasses all of two millimetres further up the bridge of his nose. Fuyutski observed the action out the corner of his eye, noted his old friend's tendency to do the adjustment. Had it been on anyone else it might have been mistaken for a nervous habit, but when it came to the Commander it was merely functional. Ikari was a stickler for routine, at least when it came to things that made him happy... as such. There was a specific place for everything in his office, a specific draw, cubbyhole or hidden panel for every diagram, paper clip or personal artefact. There was a specific place the nosepieces on his glasses would rest, if they strayed by a micron it would be corrected. Fuyutski sighed to himself; Gendo should try and relax more.

The four pieces of paper, written in fluent near copperplate handwriting was what Ikari was considering, the second Commander couldn't help but grin. Sometimes Gendo didn't realise just how much his son was like Yui, maybe if he saw that quality about him... Well he certainly saw something now.

It was a form.

Form NERV 45-8/123A to be precise, also known as a 'green form' - a formal written request from a pilot. It was a special contractual privilege known as Clause 23. The Eva pilots were allowed to submit a green form to ask something of the higher command that could not be achieved without their help. It would be a one off; you were only allowed one green form acceptance per year. Not that a certain pilot of Unit 02 had taken any notice, the Commanders seemed to be almost drowning in green forms. Eventually they had decreed that any form from Pilot Sohryu be classified as 'decision pending' and put into a special waste tube. Rei had already used her green form as well, she had asked for some specific 'adjustments' made to the surroundings of her apartment. The Fourth Child too had used his green form; it was used immediately with special dispensation for his sister to be transferred to NERV medical from the civilian hospital. The only pilot who had not filed a request was Shinji - until now.

It was even more drastic than Rei's request for the building opposite her window to 'disappear' but then Commander Ikari had accepted it without question. After all, it was his little Rei. This however was Shinji and it went against every civil rule in the book more or less, not that that was ever a barrier to NERV. It went against Gendo's sense for routine and order, but then again it wasn't a request for Shinji just a request of Shinji. It was not for his benefit, it was for the benefit of another.

"A deliberate blackout of Tokyo-3... A citizens curfew..." Gendo muttered, leafing through the form for the sixth time.

"He's figured it out well, have you seen the timetable?"

"It even includes a projected cost analysis to show it wouldn't effect operations financially."

"It's impressive."

"It's reckless."

"Oh come on Ikari, you're just annoyed because you can't dismiss it out of hand." Fuyutski was right, financially it wouldn't cost NERV a single Yen extra than any other night. Gendo growled quietly, he was impressed by his son's thoroughness it reminded him of... himself.

"Fuyutski, bring me a copy of form NERV 45-8/123B." Ikari had barely got to the word 'copy' before Kozo Fuyutski produced from behind his back the required paperwork, he tossed the Clause 23 acceptance document or the 'pale blue form' on Gendo's desk. He looked up at the elder man and arched an eyebrow as if to ask how he knew it would be acceptable to him.

"Why Gendo... it was for her, you were bound to accept. Even though it came from your son." Fuyutski turned and walked out of the office, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his features. As Ikari put pen to paper, the Proffessor couldn't help but think. "Well done Shinji... Well done."

It was three days later, almost to the minute.

"What the hell?" Asuka screamed as she was suddenly plunged into darkness, "Misato? MISATO?"

"I'm here Asuka!" Misato stumbled into the dark room struggling to light the candle she had in her hand. "It's just the blackout."

"I'd gathered that thank you very much." The red head spat snatching the second candle lit by the Major for herself.

"Oh come on Asuka, you knew this was going to happen." Misato sighed, stroking Pen-Pen who had run into the room honking in fright at the sudden lack of light.

"Yes but they could have given more warning." Asuka grumbled, "This really sucks."

"They can't help it, the main substation requires maintenance and if you want to wake up to electricity tomorrow you'll just have to cope."

"Where's that idiot Shinji? There's supposed to be a curfew now."

"Well if he hasn't left NERV he'll have to stay there. I think that was his intention."

"His intention?"

"He mentioned he had some things to do so he might not make it back until the morning."

"Bah, baka Shinji."

"Pilot Ikari, you are still here."

"That's right Ayanami."

"But your duties ended approximately two point four five hours ago."

"I know."

"Then why are you still here? You will have to remain at NERV all night with the curfew."

"Perhaps." Shinji said, failing to hide his knowing smile. "Then again perhaps not." Shinji brought his hand out from behind his back to show Rei the two passes he possessed.

"These are special passes." Rei stated examining them, her eyes widened a bit when she saw the signatures at the bottom. "They are signed by the Commanders."

"That's right." Shinji took one of the passes and placed it around Rei's neck, she looked at him in confusion. Shinji cleared his throat and spoke in what he hoped sounded like a voice of authority. "Pilot Ayanami. Your sync test scheduled for twenty three hundred hours is hereby cancelled."

"Under whose authority?" She didn't look pleased, she wasn't happy about having to stay inside NERV for a night and now she had discovered that her test was cancelled. She had nothing to occupy herself.

"Mine." Shinji said grinning. "Ayanami, didn't you know it was your birthday today?"

"I was aware the date of my awakening was this day, I did not know you knew. You were not supposed to."

"I know." Shinji, with more courage than he himself could believe, took Rei's hand and simply said. "Follow me."

As they approached the main gate Rei began to protest that they weren't allowed out because of the curfew. Shinji took no notice however, and Rei continued to be led more or less against her will towards the exit. When they got there the pilots were immediately stopped by a guard who, (upon starting a similar line of protestation), was shown the passes by Shinji. The soldier smiled when he realised what they were, immediately ordering his colleagues to salute before striking the pose of respect himself. Still smiling he told Shinji to have a very pleasant evening before opening the gates and allowing the two pilots to leave.

"Ikari... Shinji, would you please let go of my hand." Rei asked with a voice sounding more worried by the second.

"Oh!" Shinji let go of the hand and blushed, "Sorry."

"We shouldn't be outside. Why were we allowed?"

"The passes are special curfew dispensation passes, we are the only ones allowed out."

"How? Why?"

"It's your birthday, I wanted to show you something."

"This is not possible, how should you come in possession of these passes? Why have you given one to me?"

"..."

"You... Shinji did you use your green form?"

"..."

"The blackout, the curfew, the passes."

"All of it was requested."

"But why? Why use your green form on me?"

"Because I wanted to."

"Why?"

"This." Shinji stopped walking and allowed where they were to sink in.

"This is the bank we sat on after the ninth Angel. Matriel."

"Yes. There was no power, we could see the stars and I could see you enjoyed it even if Asuka was there." Shinji smiled and pushed a branch out of the way to reveal a secluded area on the hill. There was a blanket laying on the ground, candles burnt around the perimeter and a hamper of food and drink lay in the centre. "We didn't get much of a chance then to stargaze, what with the power coming back on. With all the work going on around your apartment I thought the light of the stars probably wasn't visible to you and with the street lights in general it kind of blocks out anywhere else in Tokyo-3 so... I arranged this."

"I-I..."

"And I know you don't like it too quiet, quiet yes but not deafly silent so that's where this comes in." Shinji pulled out his cello from behind a tree as well as a small portable radio. "And I thought you probably wouldn't want to do all this alone, so that's where I come in."

"Shinji, this is... this..." Rei didn't know what to say, she was completely overwhelmed by Shinji's thoughtfulness. No one had ever done anything like this for her... ever. "Thank you." She shot him the dazzling smile she had only ever shown once before, and even then it was to him. He recognised the smile for what it was, and he smiled back at her and led her to the awaiting moonlight picnic.

"Happy Birthday Rei."

"But what if an Angel attacks?"

"The tracking stations are still active, and if they spot anything all the power will come back on. But let's not worry about that, I've thought of everything."

Shinji had indeed thought of everything, though he had left some details up to his father such as the contents of the picnic. He figured his father would know more about her eating habits than he did - and he was right. The hamper was full to the brim with Rei's favourite foods and drinks; her eyes sparkled when she saw what there was, making Shinji smile in turn. The picnic was very rapidly consumed, and as the candles slowly burned away, thoughts turned to stargazing. The First and Third child lay back on their soft woollen groundsheet and began pointing out various constellations although Rei had to correct Shinji on a couple of occasions.

Eventually they ran out of constellations after a couple of hours, the candles had almost burned down to nothing. Shinji poured some chilled mineral water into a champagne flute and handed it to Rei who thanked him and turned back to the sky. Shinji's plan had worked marvellously, every heavenly body that was visible to the naked eye was just that - visible. Since they had gone through all the genuine constellations they began to point out any interesting objects, anything that shone brighter, flashed, or held an interesting colour. They even started to make up their own star names.

"It's a beautiful night Shinji." The young Ikari raised an eyebrow at her use of the word 'beautiful'.

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Shinji? Play me a song." Without a second of hesitation Shinji picked up his cello and began to play, while Rei stared up at the heavens a contented smile on her lips. Shinji played the first song that came into his head, when he finished Rei asked.

"What was that song, I have not heard it before?"

"It's an old song, called 'Dream A Little Dream Of Me'."

"The title is familiar." The pilot of EVA Unit Zero nodded.

"Yeah, it sounds better on a piano or something but I like it, it's a good song."

"I enjoyed it."

"Good."

There was a brief silence, then eventually Shinji began to play a different song, but his mind appeared to be on the previous one.

"Hey, Rei?"

"Yes?"

"Do you dream?"

"Why do you ask such a question?" She asked surprised,

"No reason, I was just wondering. Do you?"

"Why do you?"

"Sort of."

Rei propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Shinji. "That cannot be correct. You either do dream or you do not, there cannot be a halfway point."

"Oh yes there can." Shinji corrected, "You can dream some days and not others."

"Oh."

"Do you dream Rei?" She appeared to consider this for a moment,

"Yes. I do dream."

"What do you dream?"

"Dreams." She replied in a 'I would have thought that obvious' tone.

Shinji nodded, as though he did indeed half-expect her to say something like that "I'm not really sure if I dream, I can never really remember the good ones, only the nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"Bad dreams."

"I have never had such a dream."

"Then you are lucky Rei."

She frowned, "I do not think of myself in that way."

"Then you are even luckier." He said with a hint of melancholy, her frown got deeper with his words.

"I... do not understand."

There was a long, long pause. The sound of the cello echoes through the hills, Shinji became engrossed in his playing.

"Am I in your dreams?" Rei asked quietly, not turning to face him.

"You can be..." He stopped playing and looked away from Rei glowing a deep red. "I-I mean, you are occasionally." He corrected quickly.

"In which?"

"Which what?"

"Dreams."

"Well, that is, er..."

"Good or bad?"

"Er," Shinji swallowed, him and his big mouth. "You have appeared in both at one time or another." She gave no answer verbally but held Shinji with a look that said 'Explain'. "I can't explain why you were in my dreams Ayanami... you can't control them."

"Oh." Rei muttered, "Why was I in your bad dreams?"

"It was just one I had a couple of times." Shinji sighed not really wishing to divulge the contents of his nightmare to her. "It was the time of the fifth angel except when I open the hatch I find you not breathing and I c-can't revive you."

"I die in your dream?"

"You died in one of my nightmares." Shinji corrected, before quickly adding that "You're in my good dreams occasionally too Rei."

"What happens in them?" Shinji went pale and quickly tried to find an explanation that she would accept as being correct.

"Well, things like this."

"Like this?"

"Us talking, and enjoying ourselves. Being happy, that sort of thing."

"I understand." She nodded. "You are in my dream also."

"I am." Shinji blinked, "I'm in one of your dreams?"

"My only dream, I have only dreamt once."

"You've only had a dream once? But I thought you said you dream all the time."

"I only said I dream Ikari, you yourself said that you can dream some days and not others and still say you dream. Just because I have only dreamt the once does not deny the fact that I dream."

Shinji struggled to get his head around her logic, he knew better really than to question whether she was right or not. The problem was figuring out what she had actually said to him.

"True." He eventually admitted, and then he blinked hard. "Wait a minute I was in your only dream?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask what your dream was?"

"You can."

"But you won't answer right?" Rei looked at him poignantly, he had guessed correctly. "Okay... but it was a good dream wasn't it?"

Rei looked upwards towards the full moon, the shine bringing a sparkle to her ruby eyes. "It was a good dream Shinji." Her lips curled into a smile as she remembered. "It was a very good dream."

Puzzled, and with all food and drink as well as his cello playing arm exhausted Shinji suggested that they called it a night. Rei stifled a yawn and Shinji couldn't help but laugh, though Rei saw nothing funny about her being tired. Shinji left everything as it was, including his cello, NERV personnel would return his things later. Not that they would have to do much work; Shinji's neatness meant everything was packed away neatly. The pilot of Unit One dragged a hand through his messy brown hair in a vain attempt to get rid of all the little bits of grass and leaves that seemed to have become molecularly bonded to it.

"Shinji?"

"Yes?"

"How do you plan to get back to Major Katsuragi's apartment?"

"I don't." She blinked, "I mean I was going to sleep at NERV."

"Oh, I was planning to do so as well."

"Oh." Shinji gulped, "Right."

They made their way back into NERV, saluted again by a different array of soldiers - a different shift Shinji surmised. Eventually he and Rei made it to a conference room, not that it looked like a conference room in fact it looked more like a lounge or living room. Rei looked tired, very, very tired. She flopped down onto the leather sofa with absolutely none of the grace that she naturally seemed to radiate, indeed she was fighting to keep her eyelids open.

"Shinji?" She said sleepily,

"Yes Rei."

"Thank you, it was very nice of you to do this for me." Shinji perched on the arm of the opposite sofa

"That's okay Rei, did you enjoy yourself?"

"I-I was not aware of what fun was, but I believe if I had to describe it I would describe it as tonight."

"Good." Shinji smiled a warm smile; he got up and looked out of the window. "You've done some great things for me Rei, for all of us. You pilot Eva, the Eva that tried to kill you that time. You defended me, protected me, and were there for me even though I perhaps didn't know it at the time. You're a special person Rei, you really are, I... just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful for what you do." There was no answer, Shinji glanced over his shoulder and gave a wistful smile - she was asleep.

He walked over, quiet as he could so as not to risk waking her she lay stretched out on the soft brown leather completely unaware of what was going on around her.

"I hope you have a nice dream Rei." He gently brushed a stray lock of blue hair off of her face and she smiled in her sleep, Shinji took off his coat and laid it over her as a makeshift blanket. After all the picnic blanket was back on the hill, and he doubted that the room would stay warm forever. He walked to the door and prepared to turn off the light, he himself would sleep on the sofa outside, turning back, looking once more on the pilot of Evangelion Unit Zero - The First Child - Rei Ayanami. A song came to mind, an old song with a familiar title that although playable on cello sounded better on a piano or something... but he liked it. It was a good song.

"Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'. Birds singing in the sycamore trees, dream a little dream of me..."

AAUK: Well there we go, reviews greatfully and lovingly accepted I should be posting Pt 4 of Everlasting Coda in a couple of weeks maybe.
Voice: Are you ArchangelUK?
AAUK: ....Uh-oh....

ArchangelUK 0:-)
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