Part 8

"Attention passengers, we will be landing in Germany in approximately 10 minutes. Thank you for flying—"

"Thank God we're here! My butt is so damn sore!" Asuka groaned, pushing herself up as she massaged her rear end.

"I don't think you should be getting up right now," Shinji replied, glancing over at his fiancé with a mildly concerned expression.

"And why not, you id—" The airplane their were currently inside tossed slightly, knocking Asuka back onto her seat. After the momentary expression of shock faded away, she stammered, struggling to revive her self-importance, "Oh, if you didn't catch me off guard like that, I wouldn't have fallen like that! You idiot!"

Frowning, Shinji glanced up at his redhead fiancé. There was a note of anxiety in her eyes, a note of terror that Shinji couldn't explain. Sure, the memories of their last visit to Germany was bad, but surely, SURELY, that couldn't be the only reason Asuka didn't want to go to Germany, to return to her parents. Surely there was something else, surely some other motivation holding her back, another memory, one that she refused to let him know.

Why wasn't she letting him in? He let her in all the time, but now when something was personal for her, she refused to let him know anything. She had been acting agitated all day, shouting at him the entire way up to the airplane.

#

"What are you? Stupid!? You need to get your passport!" Asuka had snapped at him, in a frustrated tone.

"Hang on! I'm just getting it out," Shinji had replied as the workers at the airport waited patiently for him to withdraw the document from his pant's pocket.

"Oh sure! Take your time, why don't you?" Asuka had groaned, shaking her head and tapping her feet in frustration, "You're taking too long! We're going to miss the plane if you take this up!"

"Miss, you have another hour before your plane starts according to your ticket, so I think you can rest assured you'll arrive on time," the worker had said in an attempt to pacify the German.

"Oh, shut up! What do you know?!"

"I work here."

"I have the passport! Here you are," Shinji said, handing the pass to the workers.

"Oh sure, took you long enough! Dummkopf! What were you doing that whole time? Playing with yourself?"

"Ma'am, that's uncalled for language," one of the coworkers had stammered, shocked by what she was saying.

"Oh shut up! Let's go, you stupid—"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you forgot to show us any identification."

"Scheiße! Bumsen Sie Sie und Ihren Paß!"

After flashing her passport hastily, Shinji had turned to the rest of the workers, and had mumbled, anxiously, "Uh, we're going to see her parents."

#

And so, as the plane landed on German turf, Shinji watched Asuka rise from her seat, stretching her back as she snapped, "God damn air planes! These rides are too damn long. Why can't we just get Supersonic jets to bring us here?"

"It's probably unhealthy for the baby," Shinji replied.

"Oh, of course, Shinji here is a real protégée when it comes to babies! I don't see you getting pregnant!" Asuka snapped, placing a hand gingerly on the small bump on her torso, a slight convex bubble of life that was currently visible to the human eye. It wasn't large, and, to some, it might just look that Asuka had just put on a little bit of weight. And indeed, she had put on weight aside from the baby. Her arms and thighs had grown slightly thicker, though not enough to look even remotely overweight. It was just a little bit of fat, which was of course expected to form when a woman was pregnant.

As the couple walked, Shinji noticed, from the corner of his eyes, his fiancé stumble over a rather obviously placed cart. As she swore on the top of her lungs in German, Shinji wondered just why she hadn't noticed that thing there before. It wasn't out of sight or anything; it was right there. It was almost like walking headlong into a table or a wall. "Damn it," Asuka snapped, "Stupid toes! I knew I shouldn't of warn sandals to this stupid crapshoot of a country!"

"Uh, Asuka, you need to relax a little—"

"You shut up!"

"Yes ma'am!"

After reaching the lobby of the airport, they found several people chattering in German. The cacophony was so disorienting that Shinji that he couldn't spot out the man holding a sign with their names on it a mere twenty feet away. His fiancé, irate and frustrated, grabbed him by the wrist, and pulled him toward the man standing their with that sign, clearly longing to be somewhere else, far away.

"Dummkopf! What are you, stupid? Can't even see the sign when it's right in front of your eyes. You idiot!"

"I'm sor—hey!"

"Stupid idiot! Moron! Ugh!"

The couple arrived at the side of the German with the sign, who spoke rapidly in harsh, frustrated German. Shinji could pick up on what he was saying rather easily. "How long do you expect me to wait, anyway? Thank God you're here."

"I'm sorry," Shinji stammered, in broken German, only for Asuka to shoot him a dirty look. She was training him against saying "sorry" all the time.

Turning to the man, Asuka said, in a snappy tone, "Look, it's your job to hold the sign, right?"

"Right."

"So why're you complaining? You'll be paid overtime for your services, be able to buy your girlfriend a nice dress, whatever she wants. If you don't have a girl, then you'll just buy one. Knowing someone like you, that's probably the only way you'd get one with you people skills." The man struggled not to yell back as his lips twitched painfully. Shinji gave him credit for strength of will. "Good, now take us to the Langley Estate. Now."

"Estate?" Shinji asked, "Are you rich or something?"

"Not specifically."

"Then why call it an es—"

"Right this way," the man groaned.

The ride from the airport was relatively long. In fact, Shinji wondered why they couldn't have arrived in an airport at least slightly closer to their destination. The forty-five minute drive was insanely long, especially with Asuka grumpily complaining about everything they saw as they passed by the industrialized cities. "They've cut down all those trees? That's just stupid! I remember there being a forest here, with huge trees! I mean, I remember climbing them and hanging on the branches as a kid. Why did they cut them down? Probably to make way for some stupid freeway or city skyscraper! Those stupid idiots! It's the same in Japan, though, those crazy Japanese stupid—" Shinji sort of just found her complaining to be just white noise after awhile, especially with the driver's radio blasting in the background and planes soaring overhead, cars honking and trucks mowing along, animals crying and humans laughing on the outside.

After an eternity, the car pulled up to a massive driveway that lead up to what looked like a rather large estate, as Asuka had implied. Chances are the house was supplied to the Langley's from the government as a reward for raising a pilot who had fought hard to resist Instrumentality and the Angels. From what Shinji knew, Germany had held the pilots in high esteem. The NERV branch in Germany often received awards, as Fuyutsuki observed constantly. He seemed to envy their success.

"Well, here we are," the driver said, a note of relief in his voice as he turned around to the couple. "I'll go get your backs."

"Thank you very much," Shinji replied, waiting for Asuka to say something in response. However, by the time the man left the vehicle, she was still silent. Shinji turned toward his fiancé, and saw her staring out the window at the large building that was her home. It was a true mansion, with turrets and everything, beautiful brick walls constructing the elaborate building, gargoyles and other beautiful ornaments resting on the peeks of the several pointed roofs, decorating the stunning faces of the building. And yet the German didn't seem to notice this at all.

Why was Asuka white in the face?

Why was she trembling?

Why was she so cold?

Shinji extended his hand, and pulled the redhead's into his, a concerned expression on his face. It had been years since she had last returned here. The post-Third Impact genocides and wars that broke out here had to be the least of the reasons for her not returning. Something else, something horrible, had happened here, something that happened in the house they were currently parked in front of. The German turned to make eye contact for a moment, a desperate look of longing in her eyes, unable to hide the desire for the Japanese boy to hug her, to hold her close, to tell he everything was going to be better. However, that sense of longing was soon swallowed up in a frustrated scowl, yet her narrowed eyes were unable to hide that melancholy gaze, the longing to be told she didn't need to leave the sanctuary of the vehicle, that she could just remain here for an eternity, away from the unknown fears of the house.

"What're you doing?" she spat, in a venomous tone, "Dummkopf! Stop looking at me like that!"

"Are you alright?"

"Alright? What's wrong with you? Why would it look like I'm not alright, anyway?"

"Well—"

"Are you two going to get out of the car yet?!"

Asuka scowled at the driver, who was currently holding Asuka's entire cornucopia of bags on his back, and holding onto Shinji's single suitcase in his hand. "Jesus! Can't you be a little patient?"

"Patient? Lady, you're impossible!"

Shinji exited the car, holding the door open for her fiancé to follow. Any ordinary human would probably just leave the hotheaded redhead to her own devices, not really caring if she left the car at all, maybe hoping she didn't. For better or worse, Shinji wasn't an ordinary human being. He could see the pain the German was struggling to conceal. He knew her long enough to know that she was at her bitchiest when she was stressed out. Clearly something was stressing her out to near the breaking point. He knew better than to get in her way, but he also knew that it was best to be as nice as possible to the redhead, to treat her like a Princess in order to remind her that someone did care for her.

Usually that worked.

He hoped it would now.

Asuka hopped out of the vehicle, her gaze averted from all. She brushed a hand over her forehead, as though she were wiping sweat away. However, seeing as how it was reaching the month of December, and seeing as how Third Impact hard returned the Earth to its pre-Second Impact climate conditions, it was certainly rather chilly outside. However, only Shinji, standing beside the girl, could see the redhead's thumb brush against the corners of her eyes ever so slightly, so that the chauffeur behind them would be unable to see her brush aside the tears she cried.

Shinji reached out for his fiancé, putting a hand on her shoulder, a reassuring hand that he hoped would relay the message to her, through her layers of pride and fuming frustration, that he was here for her. For a moment, all was still, much to the chauffeur's shock. However, after five seconds, the German girl brushed his hand aside, and mumbled, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, you stupid idiot." With that, she took several steps closer to the house, her head lowered in resignation.

"She's your fiancé, right?" the chauffeur mumbled behind Shinji.

"Yeah, she is."

"Uh-huh. If you don't mind me saying so, she's a complete bitch, but she has one sexy ass."

Shinji didn't need to defend his fiancé; she happened to turn around on the spot and throw a rock at him. It missed, but the man got the hint rather quickly, and shut his mouth.

"Stupid idiots! I just hate stupid men!"

The trio, the chauffeur trailing behind with the added weight on his back, ascended a large stairway leading up to a pair of large oak doors. This was the threshold of the Langley estate, and now his fiancé was about to reunite with her parents for the first time in perhaps a decade; maybe more. Surely there was only one possible outcome for all this: a lot of problems.

Asuka wrapped her knuckles against the door, and Shinji held his breath, waiting for the moment where all hell would break lose. Finally, however, the door opened, and, to Shinji's mild surprise, a 14 year old emerged from the depths of the house. The lithe child there before them had long strawberry blonde hair that trailed over her back in the form of two pigtails. Her sky blue eyes gazed up into Asuka's own eyes of the same color, and the two stared at one another for a few moments. Finally, the younger girl smiled. "Sis?"

"Kate? That you?" Asuka asked, nonchalantly in a surprisingly comfortable tone, "You've grown."

"Uh-huh, and not just my height. My figure's spilled out as well, you know," Kate replied.

"Yup, that's her sister," Shinji mumbled, positive that Asuka had said something similar to that when he had first met her.

At the sound of Shinji's voice, Kat took a few steps forward, gazing at her future brother-in-law, examining him through narrowed eyes before mumbling, in a lackluster tone, "That's him? The Third Child? He's kinda plain lookin', don't ya think?"

"Kate, please, remember that appearances aren't everything when it comes to true romance." At once, Shinji noticed, from the corner of his eye, Asuka jump suddenly and sharply, as though ice had been applied to the back of her neck. She gazed at the woman standing in the doorway, and, as her eyes grew wide, Shinji followed their trail to the woman standing there before them. She was an icy looking blonde, her hair all wrapped up into an elaborate high bun. Her pale skin complemented her green eyes, which was in stark contrast to her daughter's eyes or her step-daughter's. She looked older, like in her late forties or early fifties, and yet was rather beautiful in her aged state. Shinji was sure she was quite a looker even ten years prior, maybe a rival to Asuka. That being said, there was a chill about the woman he just couldn't place, but he knew he didn't like it.

Asuka, however, looked like she was beaming. "Hello, mother!"

"My dear step-daughter, I haven't seen you in ages." The mother approached her stepdaughter, and pulled her into a deep embrace. The German girl returned the favor, but only after a second passed after the gesture had been initiated. The hug, though, was surprisingly brief, and the two woman began laughing amongst themselves. "I see you've grown out your hair, and your body has grown into that of an eloquent young lady."

"Lady? I don't know if I'm that great. I'd figure I'm still a girl physically."

"You look like a woman ready to be married. And this is my future son-in-law, correct?" Shinji hated when adults used the word "correct" when they could just use "right." "Correct" reminded him of his father.

"Yeah, that's right," Shinji said, putting a surprising emphasis on the "right."

"Well, I'm glad my daughter chose to marry such an important individual such as yourself," Asuka's stepmother said, a smile on her face, "I always knew she was destined for greatness, but to see her now to wed another one of this planet's saviors, I justfeel faint thinking of it. You must tell us everything over dinner tonight. Mr. Langley, as it were, is currently out on business, but should return tomorrow."

"Oh, that's fine. Don't worry," Asuka replied, smiling, "Might be good for some catching up, right?"

"Correct," Asuka's stepmother replied, "By the way, Shinji, was it?"

"That's right."

"Well, I would just like to know that if there is anything, and I mean anything, we can do to make your stay at our cozy little estate all the more enjoyable, please, do not hesitate to let us know."

"Alright, I won't," Shinji replied, not trusting that woman for more than a second.

"Hey, lady, where do you want me to dump your crap?" the chauffeur mumbled under the weight of the bags.

Asuka glanced over at him, nonchalantly. "Oh, you? Dump them in wherever I'm staying. Uh, where is that again?"

"Third floor, first room on the right after you walk up the stairs," the stepmother replied, nonchalantly to the chauffeur.

"Thanks a lot," the man, clearly happy to drop the load off, darted toward the doorway.

"Do you need any help?" Shinji asked the man, but his voice was drowned out by Asuka's voice.

"Hey guys, can we go get some water please? We're kinda parched," Asuka shouted, overwhelming Shinj's statement so the chauffeur couldn't hear him, couldn't hear his possible means from leaving he alone with her parents, Shinji assumed.

"Certainly. Kate will guide you there herself, won't you, Kate?"

"Of course! Right this way."

"Thanks a lot! Shinji, come with me!" Asuka grabbed Shinji by the wrist and, against his will, dragged him away from the spot, along with her, ensuring that, no matter where she went, he wasn't going anywhere more than five feet away from her in this house.

This was going to be one long visit, wasn't it?