Chapter 21

"Ugh…" groaned one Shinji Ikari as he slowly stirred back into consciousness. He spat in disgust as a vile taste overwhelmed his taste-buds. Both the texture and smell kind of reminded him of grass… Hold on a second… That was grass! Shinji's eyes snapped open, and now fully focused he found himself lying in a soft patch of grass that he immediately began pawing at, as well as the coarse dirt beneath it. The soil felt real enough… So did that bright hot light beating down on his back, a light he quickly identified as the sun, shining down on him for the first time in years. His eyes were soon drawn to the mountain of balkelite located directly behind him. Near the top of that mountain, Unit 01's head could clearly be seen sticking out from the pseudo-ice, the entry plug protruding from its neck. It took a few seconds for the sight to register with Shinji, and recall what had happened. What Kaworu had done for him.

"He did it… I don't believe it… I'm out… I'm free! I'm free!" Shinji laughed like he hadn't in years, a hearty laugh that would grow and grow to a point of borderline hysteria. Shinji searched the area for any sign of his friend, but sadly could not find any. "Kaworu… You're not supposed to be here are you? I guess I won't get to say this to you face-to-face, but if you can hear me… Thank you Kaworu… Thank you for everything."

Shinji enjoyed another chuckle before he noticed his reflection looking back at him in the balkelite. Shinji put his hand up to the glass like material as if unconvinced the person he was seeing was really Shinji Ikari. He certainly looked like Shinji… Though perhaps a slight bit older, maybe early 20's Shinji guessed. Odder still, Shinji had a fairly aggressive five o'clock shadow going, which he found strange seeing as he'd never had to shave before even once in his life. That's how much facial hair he'd seen on that face before today. The notion seemed impossible and weird… But then again, he worked for NERV, and therefore ate weird and impossible for breakfast every morning, so why waste time wondering about how and why?

Shinji examined the giant ice sculpture that had served as his prison for years, mainly studying Zeus while trying to convince himself that the Eva was indeed inactive and was no longer a threat to the people he loved. Once satisfied, he explored the area further, and quickly located a rock pillar that was roughly the same height as he was. He could see an inscription on the plaque, from which he could only read two words… His name, 'Shinji Ikari', the letters of which were larger than the rest of the inscription. Nervously, he walked towards the pillar to get a better look at what was etched into that plaque. It read;

Shinji Ikari

6-6-2001 to 5-13-2018

"On the 13th of May 2018, Shinji Ikari gave his life to protect the Citizens of Tokyo 3 from a hostile force with the capability to destroy the city. Let this memorial and his visage, be a constant reminder of his courage and sacrifice."

Shinji felt slightly put off by the memorandum. He felt it gave him too much credit. It's not like he confronted Zeus while thinking how the lives of everyone in the city were on the line. The citizens of Tokyo 3 were simply the benefactors of Shinji's dogged determination to protect the ones he loved. That, and Shinji just wouldn't be Shinji if he didn't find a way to deprecate himself even where no deprecation was warranted.

Admiring what he assumed served as his tombstone, he then noticed several bouquets of flowers surrounding the base of the memorial in various states of bloom. Directly behind a dozen white lilies, was a strong-box with Shinji's name etched onto the top of it. 3x3 it was hard to miss, and it took both hands to lift it up off the ground. Taking a seat at a nearby bench that faced the Balkelite Mountain, he debated whether or not to open the box. It had his name on it, so he had some difficultly coming up with a reason why he shouldn't open it. Several minutes of debate later, he finally decided to have at it. Finding the box unlocked, he lifted the top… And found a folded note atop of a pair of equally folded clothes, those of which were not unlike his choice of attire back before Zeus had come to town. He opened up the letter, and found it was written by Misato.

"This is likely just wishful thinking on our part, but we know you survived being absorbed into your Eva once before… Assuming you were absorbed this time that is. If it just so happens, that one day you give that Eva of yours indigestion and he spits you back out, here are some clothes we hope might fit you if you're in need of them… Also enclosed in this lock-box are some images of the things you missed while you were gone…Lives none of us likely would've had if not for you. I know it's unlikely you'll ever read this Shinji, but just in case you do… Ah, to hell with it! I love you Shinji, and we miss you… Thank you for everything."

-Misato

A single teardrop stained Misato's name before Shinji was able to compose himself. A slight smile adorned his face as his mind flooded with memories of his old Guardian. Curious about the images Misato had mentioned in the letter, he set the clothing aside and found a stack of photographs, a few from every year since he'd been gone. A wide array of emotions took turns slapping him across the face and he went through the pictures, watching his friends and family age before his eyes. Several of these photos stood out prominently in his mind.

The first was a picture of Toji and Hikari's wedding… The couple didn't look much older than when he'd last seen them, so Shinji guessed they must've gotten married shortly after high school. There was another picture of the newlyweds, or possibly not-so-newlyweds posing with their new baby boy. There was a picture of Kensuke, of course holding camera, standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. He reminded Shinji of a beatnik with his shaggy hair, pencil thin mustache, and a tiny patch of beard on the cleft of his chin. One picture that particularly touched his heart was of Toji's sister Sakura, who appeared to be sixteen or seventeen in the photo. She held up a sign on poster board that read 'New surgery went great. Been walking for six months without a limp'.

There were other pictures of friends and acquaintances on various holidays and special occasions. Misato, God love her, proving she hadn't changed a bit, had included at least half a dozen pictures of her in various stages of undress. She wasn't naked or anything, just selectively missing an article of clothing here or there, and leaving very little to the imagination. He chuckled at a photo of Kaji on the beach sipping a drink with the caption 'Retired and loving it!'. He was not surprised at all to find there were only a couple pictures of Rei included. He didn't take his sister for a girl that would be taking too many pictures of herself, or that she would even think she was doing anything remotely important enough that Shinji might want to know about it. There was one of her graduating from College, which made Shinji beam with pride. The other picture of her made him do a double take. It was a regular picture of her that looked more recent than many of the others. Rei had longer hair, down to her shoulder blades, and she was smiling… Not one of those fake wry smiles either, but a legitimate smile like you'd see on any happy young women. The sight of that made Shinji every bit as proud as the notion that she'd graduated College.

There was one last picture at the very bottom of the box, and it took Shinji's breath away. It was a picture of a ragged Asuka lying on a hospital bed wearing a crooked smile, and holding an infant in her arms. The baby had a tuft of red-hair on her head. He was guessing it was a baby girl judging from the pink blanket and the pink ribbon in her hair. The picture both broke Shinji's heart and made him smile at the same time. It was hard seeing the person he loved holding someone else's child, but at the same time, he was happy to see she'd moved on with her life and had seemed to have found some happiness in it. In Shinji's mind, she deserved that happiness more than anyone. What stung more than the picture itself, was when he realized it was Asuka's only offering to the box. For all he knew, it could've been somebody else who put the picture in there. He couldn't blame Asuka though. She likely wanted to get on with her life, and not be dragged down by the memory of a brief fling she'd likely long since gotten over. That's what he wanted for her after all, though it still felt like a heavy series of punches to the gut.

Shinji placed the pictures back in the box, and decided to put that box back where he'd found it. He did take the clothes however, and found a secluded spot to try them on. Luckily, they fit perfectly. He replaced the fresh set of clothing with the plug suit he'd been wearing, not really considering the firestorm it would cause if someone he knew checked on that box and found the suit. He sat back down on a different bench, and spent the next half hour planning his next move. He really didn't know what to do… He couldn't really go back home. Everyone he knew had moved on with their lives, and he didn't want to swoop in and become an Eva sized disruption for everyone. He really wasn't even sure yet how long he'd been gone. Perhaps it would better for everyone if he left Tokyo 3 and started a new life somewhere else, allowing his loved ones to continue on with their lives thinking he was still gone. That way, no one's life was upended because, here comes old Shinji and he has nowhere else to go. Little did Shinji know that fate was conspiring against his newly budding plans to flee.

Shin Suzahara didn't understand women. He inherited that trait from his father. He felt he understood Kasumi, though not so much as a woman but as his friend. Shin was slightly north of a year younger then Kasumi, but neither really noticed the age difference. They'd grown up together, so they'd always been around each other. In one anothers company is where they felt the most comfortable, what felt natural, though neither one really noticed that either. It was one of those unspoken things. Sometimes though, a firm grasp on his best friend's idiosyncrasies was elusive. For example, he had no idea why the hell she was so irritated with him at the moment, or why he was having to schlep around this bouquet of flowers she'd recently purchased.

"Why are you mad? How am I supposed to apologize when I don't even know what I did wrong?!"

"I'm not mad!" Kasumi snorted, her nose in the air. "But if I was, the fact that you'd have to ask why I'm angry would just infuriate me more!"

Shin sighed as he rushed to keep pace with his irritated friend. "Is this one of those test things that girls like to give guys? Did I screw up without realizing it?"

"Did you ever," Kasumi grunted under her breath. "All I can say is that your gift better be pretty freaking awesome unless you want to explain to my mother how you ruined my birthday!"

"My gift?" For the first time, Shin began to worry that his gift for her might not be good enough. "My gift happens to be very thoughtful… And how exactly have I ruined your birthday?"

"You haven't ruined it yet, I was merely punctuating my point doofus!" Kasumi sped forward, as she thought to herself bitterly. "There's only one thing I want from you, and it's obvious I'm not getting that anytime soon…"

"Kasumi?" her friend called to her, sensing she had drifted off.

"I'm fine, now get your butt moving Shinji! I'd love to actually get back home in time to attend my own birthday party!"

"Why do I have to carry your flowers?" Shin finally drummed up the nerve to ask. "Doesn't this kind of fly in the face of your entire independent woman, I don't need help from anyone persona?"

"Not at all… Myself being self-sufficient and fully capable of doing anything you can do, and better, doesn't excuse you of your obligation to be a gentleman when you're in my presence."

"Uh huh… Sound more like a case study in hypocrisy to me…"

Kasumi halted her progress so she could look back and glare at the boy, effectively freezing him in his own tracks. "Would you like to walk home by yourself? Then have to explain to my mom why you left me all alone out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Why is it that you think I'm so afraid of your mother?" he asked, despite the fact that he totally was.

"Says the boy who used to bring an extra set of pants along whenever we were up to something you were afraid she might not approve of," Kasumi teased, causing Shin to blush. Sadly, she wasn't kidding. Shin had nothing but respect for the mother of his best friend, and Asuka had always treated him well, but still… He'd rather go swimming in a pit full of poisonous snakes than have to face Asuka Soryu when she was angry. She was damn scary when she was angry.

"Whatever, let's just go…"

"It you'd stop hindering me with all your nonsense, we would've been there by now! Another minute or two and we should… Ooop!" Not watching where she had been going, Kasumi rammed into something, or someone rather, solid enough that the contact knocked her down on her butt.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss! I didn't see you coming," a young man apologized even though the accident wasn't at all his fault. The girl just sort of appeared out of a row of bushes while not looking where she was going.

Kasumi took the exact opposite route, taking no responsibility for her role in the collision. It was a Soryu family trait if there ever was one. "Sorry is not going to cut it! Why don't you watch where the hell you're going next time?!"

Kasumi picked herself up, ready to give this jerk a piece of her mind when her eyes locked on his face as his eyes locked on her face. Their jaws nearly hit the ground in unison.

"Kasumi, are you alright?!" Shin asked as he ran up to her, having finally caught up. He saw the young man she'd been barking at, and he too nearly fell over from the force of his jaw speeding towards the ground. He and Kasumi finally recovered enough to look at each other to wordlessly ask if the other was seeing what they thought they were seeing. Shin looked over at the young man, raising a finger in the air. "Give us just one minute please…" Shin grabbed Kasumi by the arm and dragged her back towards the bushes so they could speak among themselves at a comfortable distant from the young man who watched them in absolute awe.

"That doesn't even make sense… It can't be him!" Shin insisted.

"He's wearing the clothes Misato left him! Not to mention that he looks just like him! A little older maybe, but that face… I know it sounds impossible but there has to be… Wait a minute!" Kasumi's eyes darted upward towards the world's most famous mound of fake ice. Even though the landmark was still a good half mile in the distance, a pair of good eyes could still make out the head of Unit 01 poking fee just above the top of the mound. "Shinji… Look at this…"

Shin looked where she directed, and he too could see the head of Unit 01 above the balkelite. The longtime friends looked at each other again, both thinking the same thing. "It might actually be him… But how do we know for sure?"

"Duh, we ask him," Kasumi answered as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. Normally it would be if not for the fact that she was going to be asking this person if he was someone that had been declared deceased years ago.

Shinji watched the two teens as they chattered on excitedly about something, but Shinji was still struggling to breathe after what he'd just seen. That girl looked exactly like Asuka at fifteen, only with shorter hair and her eyes were a darker shade of blue. It was those very eyes that kept him from calling the girl by Asuka's name just a few moments before. That and he was pretty sure that boy she was with called her Kasumi…. Was she a relative of Asuka's, or maybe even that infant in that picture? It was about this time that Shinji recognized that the kids were staring off in the distance at the Balkelite Mountain, and when he looked himself, to his discomfort noticed that the head of Unit 01 was clearly visible from this vantage point. Shinji feared he might've already been found out. All of the sudden, the red-headed girl bounded over to him, smiling in anticipation like someone who knew they were about to win some sort of major prize. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you… Man, this sounds crazy but… You're Shinji Ikari aren't you?!"

Shinji nearly fell backward at the accusation, only managing to babble out something nonsensical in response. The sight of him clearly flustered, seemed to excite the girl that much more. "I knew it! I can't believe this! It's such an honor to meet you sir! I grew up immersed in all the stories from your days piloting Eva and fighting angels!"

"Have you now?" He asked, still taken aback.

"Of course, you're like a legend in this city! There's an entire section in our history books at school dedicated to you!"

"That… Would seem a little in excess of what should be necessary…"

"It's all true Sir," said the red-head's nervous looking companion, staring at the ground as he spoke. "We both kind of grew up idolizing you and… Oh geesh, I sound like an idiot don't I?..."

"Only when you point it out like that you doofus! Why don't you pick your head up and face your eyes forward already! You're not going to turn to stone if you make eye contact!"

Shinji watched the two star-struck teens as they bickered playfully. He had no doubts now that this girl had to be Asuka's… Even her personality was similar. The boy reminded him of someone too, but Shinji didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. "Um, I hate to interrupt your discussion but… You two seem to understand a little bit about Eva, and my situation…So you guys aren't weirded out at all that I'm standing here, and no longer stuck inside my Evangelion? It surprises me that you two were so quick to accept that I'm Shinji Ikari and not some weird guy that just looks like him wandering around his grave."

Kasumi mulled this overly briefly, before smiling and giving her response. "Well, so many people I know have always been convinced you'd find your way back someday, especially my Aunt. I guess I decided to believe her, because she's usually right about these things… That and your Eva's head is clearly exposed above the balkelite, and you're wearing the clothes that were left for you. Believe me, I didn't just jump to the conclusion that you were Shinji Ikari because you looked like him, I took everything into account."

"You're quite the sharp one aren't you?" Shinji smiled, impressed with how the youngster carried herself. "Um… Kasumi is your name isn't it?"

"Oh, right!" Kasumi blushed, realizing she had yet to introduce herself. "Kasumi Amelia Soryu at your service!"

"Soryu… So you are Asuka's kid?" Kasumi nodded her head proudly. "That explains a lot."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Kasumi said cheerfully. "The kid impersonating a talking statue here is my friend Shin Suzahara!"

Images of Shinji's old friend Toji immediately jumped to mind as his vision shifted to the boy, when something about the kid's name made his curious. "Wait… Shin?"

"Yeah," Shin started bashfully, rubbing at his arm. "It's short for Shinji… I was kind of named after you."

"Really?" Shinji beamed, flattered that his friends would honor him in such a way. "Your mother wouldn't be named Hikari by any chance, would she?"

Shin's eyes widened at first, but then he remembered that Shinji and his parents had been friends as teenagers so it was not strange that Shinji knew his mother's name. "Yeah…"

"Figures… You remind me a lot of her…" Shinji had a feeling he knew who that kid belonged to even before Kasumi introduced him. He really was the perfect little mesh of his parents. Tall and broad like his father, yet bashful, polite and level headed like his mother. "Hey, maybe you guys could help me out? I'm trying to find a way into town, and I was wondering if there was a bus or anything with a route between here and Tokyo 3?"

"Afraid not," Kasumi answered, to Shinji's confusion. "The only way to get from here to the city is by walking. Misato Katsuragi decided that she didn't want your memorial flooded with tourists, so if people were really serious about paying their respects, they could walk there."

"Sounds like Misato," Shinji smiled through his sigh. "Guess I'm walking then."

"Hey, you can walk back with us if you want!" Kasumi offered perhaps over eagerly. "You know, it's actually my birthday today, and mom's throwing me a party! All your old friends will be there, so it's almost too perfect an opportunity don't you think?!"

"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea," Shinji said, dragging down the girls jubilant mood just a bit. "I don't want to suddenly pop up again after being presumed dead for so long. That might be too much for everyone to take in, and I wouldn't want to take away from your birthday…"

"Nonsense! What girl wouldn't want to brag about bringing a celebrity to her birthday party, especially one recently back from the dead! Come on, you can't really be suggesting that you wouldn't want to see everyone after all this time…"

"Of course I do… I'm just not sure if they're ready to see a corpse come walking through the door… I've been debating whether or not to even tell anyone I'm back, or if it's a better idea to let everyone continue thinking I'm gone and not disrupt their lives…"

The look on Kasumi's face scared Shinji, enough so that he flinched. It was a look Kasumi's mother had given him countless times when he'd say or do something that annoyed her. "What, are you stupid? Of course they'd want to see you! They'd never forgive you if they found out you were alive and never even bothered to contact anybody! You wouldn't be disrupting anything… You'd be bringing back what's been missing in their lives!"

"You… Might have point," Shinji admitted. The more he thought about it, up and leaving town without revealing to anyone he was back amongst the living, would've been another form of running away… Something he'd promised himself he'd never do again. "I'm still not sure about crashing your party though… Maybe I should wait until tomorrow or…"

"You can't crash a party I just invited you too! Please come with us! You can consider it your birthday gift to me, if that convinces you to come. I'd really, really appreciate it…"

Kasumi ramped up the cute and Shinji about melted on the spot. Shin briefly considered vomiting. Shinji Ikari felt he no longer had a choice in the matter. He just never could so no to that face… Even when it was someone else that was wearing it. "When you ask that way, it's almost like I have too… Alright, I'll go to your party Kasumi…"

The red-headed teen squealed, nearly leaving her feet. She wasted no time grabbing Shinji by the arm and dragging him along behind her, despite mild protests from the older man. "I really appreciate this! I can't wait! Mom is going to fall over dead when she sees you!"

"More likely, I'll fall over dead after she kills me…" Shinji muttered to himself, but loud enough for the two teenagers to hear. As much as he longed to see Asuka again, he dreaded the reunion almost as much as he anticipated it.

"Hold on!" Shinji's namesake protested as he tried to catch up with Kasumi and her captive. "You're telling me I have to carry these all the way back to town with me too?!" he complained, pointing to the flowers he was still holding. Kasumi completely ignored him, as she was much too busy talking the ear off of a man she grew up idolizing. All Shin could do was shake his head, and then smiled before following after them.

Back at the Soryu apartment, the preparations for the party were proceeding as planned and quite efficiently. This of course, meant that Asuka was not happy with the way things were going at all. She was pacing to all corners of the apartment, barking orders to her helpers as they simply shook their heads, as they all waited for the inevitable disaster Asuka was expecting but just never came.

"Asuka, will you calm down already!" Misato ordered her former ward and current employee, seated at a stool next to the dining room counter, her left fist propping up her chin. "The party doesn't start for another two hours, and everything is set… All you have to do now is take a deep breath and wait."

"But the cake…"

"Is in the middle of the table and ready to be cut when the time comes," Hikari sighed, totally on board with Misato.

"The decorations…"

"Have all been hung, nailed in, or whatever," Misato answered this time.

"The guests…"

"Will arrive shortly," Misato told her as she grabbed Asuka by the back of her blouse and yanked her towards the empty stool in between her and Hikari. "You know as well as we do, that not a sould would dare miss that girl's birthday."

"I… But…" Asuka looked around her, and to her utter shock, the place wasn't bursting into flames before her eyes. With a deep exhale, she sat down backwards on the stool. "I just want everything to be perfect…"

"Everything will be, even though everything doesn't have to be," Misato assured her. "Don't forget that Kasumi isn't quite the spoiled, impossible to please princess that her mother used to be at that age…"

Asuka scowled at the older women, and then at her best friend when she started giggling. "Hey now… That was just a phase that I grew out of…"

"A phase doesn't last for decades Asuka…" Misato teased. "It took giving birth for you to finally grow out of it…"

"Among other things…" Hikari added, and immediately regretted it. An uneasy silence filled the room. 'He' wasn't a subject they brought up very often since he was still such a sore sport for Asuka. Hikari couldn't even call her son by his full name while she was in earshot. To Asuka's credit, she never asked them to do that, nor treated Shin poorly because of it, but everyone could tell that hearing that name still bothered her, even now.

Misato took it upon herself to break the ice. With a sly grin she asked Asuka... "So Asuka… Is your friend Otto coming to the party tonight?"

Unexpectedly, the mood in the room soured even more. Asuka stiffened, and stood up from her stool. "No, he won't be coming…" Asuka immediately went in search of something, anything around the house that needed doing.

Misato and Hikari looked at each other, both wanting to bang their heads against the counter. "What happened this time Asuka?!"

"Was Otto too perfect for you?" Hikari added, none too lite on the sarcasm.

"I'm not going to discuss this right now…" Asuka said as she wiped the moisture off of a knife she had just cleaned in the sink. "My daughter's birthday is my only concern right…"

If Asuka was the praying type, she would've prayed for a distraction right then, and those prayers would've been answered. There was a knock at the door, and Asuka wasted no movement pouncing on the door. "Looks like the guests are starting to arrive!"

Misato and Hikari looked at each again. Hikari shrugged her shoulders and excused herself from the counter. Misato shrugged herself, and downed what was left of her beer. In the midst of this, she heard Asuka squeal, followed by a quick greeting. Misato thought nothing of the newcomer as she lost herself in her own thoughts, but the recently arrived guest forced the issue when said person sat down next to her. The smell of his aftershave gave him dead away, ironic really, considering the man never shaved.

"Oh God, she invited you…" Misato groaned, placing a hand over her head. Her long time flame, adversary, and perennial headache flashed her that smile that had always managed to keep her from killing him throughout the years.

"Why of course Katsuragi. I wouldn't dream of missing Little Red's big day."

"I suppose it's good for her that you were in town then… I'd half expect you to be too busy bumming around on some beach, or talking up some floozy in front of the fire at some mountain lodge somewhere… You know, for a retired spy, you sure have a lot of disposable income."

"What can I say? The pay was good, and the perks were even better," Kaji grinned as only he could. "There's no need to be jealous, I'd love nothing more than to take you along next time."

"Some of us have lives and responsibilities we have to attend to Ryoji… I can't just up and leave town whenever the whim hits me…"

"Hey, don't blame me for that. If you would've accepted one of my dozen or so marriage proposals, perhaps I would have some of this responsibility you speak of."

"Maybe if you ever grow up, I might say yes one day! I can't be married to someone I can't trust or depend on to be around when I need him!"

"Give me a reason to be around and I will be," he said with all seriousness. He actually caused Misato to blush faintly, which she desperately tried to hide. "Not trusting me has ever stopped you from having a couple of beers and falling into my bed every so often…"

"It doesn't happen that often! And like you said, alcohol was involved!"

"Often enough… Hell, I think we have more sex than most married couples."

"Behave yourself Kaji! Remember, there's going to be minors here, so no more sex talk!"

"Fine, fine… No need to worry. I have no intention of regaling the youngsters with tales of how easy it is to get Miss Katsuragi in bed with me…"

Misato was wishing for something to hit Kaji upside the head with when her phone rang. Already annoyed, her mood didn't get any better when she saw the call was from the office so to speak… "Why are they calling me from the Geofront?..."

"I thought you told them not to bother you today?" Asuka piped in from the hallway, a towel draped over her shoulder.

"I did… Either way, I'm going to let Tanaka or Rei handle it… I'm off today." She pushed decline, and put the phone back in her pocket…. At least she tried too, but her phone started ringing again… Still irritated, that mood softened when she saw Rei's information pop up on the caller ID. "It's Rei calling me directly…" It was odd for Rei to call her directly from her personal phone, and usually only did so during emergencies. "I better take this."

Misato stood up and moved into the sitting room, which was relatively quiet compared to the rest of the apartment. Asuka followed, leaning up against the wall, eager to hear about what was going on. "Rei? What's going on? I'm assuming this is important considering I ordered everyone to forget my number unless it's a dire emergency."

"My apologies Commander, but I did deem it necessary." Misato was already nervous. Despite the formality, there was a hitch in Rei's voice that usually wasn't there. Hell, Rei Ayanami never got worked up over anything. "I'm at Shinji's memorial… Something strange has occurred. It seems that overnight, a large portion of the balkelite melted away… Lieutenant Ibuki has a team investigating the phenomena but as of yet, they've been unable to make sense of it."

"I would think not, because what you're saying doesn't make a lick of sense! Are both of the Eva's still encased?"

"The unit known as Zeus is still safely trapped inside the balkelite." Rei looked up and the head of her brother's purple mech. "As for Unit 01 however… The head is sticking out above the balkelite. Judging by the melting patterns, it almost appears that the thawing phenomena was focused on Unit 1's cranium… And that's not the only thing…"

"Rei?" Misato asked after her Operations Officer went silent. "What is it Rei?!"

"Unit 01's entry plug was exposed from the neck… As if it had been ejected… We opened the hatch and, as expected, the plug was empty…"

Misato's eyes went wide. As much as she wanted to follow Rei to the place that the Commander knew Rei's mind was wandering, she kept a level head. "Rei, I know what you might be thinking right now… Shinji was more than likely absorbed into Unit 01, so it makes sense that we wouldn't find his body in the entry plug."

"I'm under no delusions as to the fate of my brother… I'm simply passing on to you what we've discovered."

"Thank you for that Rei, you were right to contact me. Wrap up your investigation and we'll go over our options in the morning."

"Affirmative… Oh and Commander… Please tell Kasumi that I might be late, but I do plan on attending the party this evening."

"I'll make sure she gets the message. See you then Captain." Misato ended the call, and turned to find Asuka staring her down intently. Misato gulped, but her extensive life experience helped keep her from looking like a cornered rat.

"What was that all about?" Asuka asked, frowning slightly.

"That was just Rei. You know how she is with protocol. She has to get my permission before she'll even considering giving a command she doesn't have clearance to give."

"Uh-uh, and for a lie you just pulled out of your ass, that's not a bad one. Now, how about spilling whatever it was that you two were talking about that you don't want me to know? I heard you talking about Shinji and Unit 01's entry plug… What the hell is going on over there?"

"Well um…" Misato sighed, feigning she was giving in to her former ward. "It really is nothing. Apparently some of the balkelite at Shinji's memorial has melted, and of course that led to some premature speculation about retrieving Unit 01. Rei & I were discussing 'what if' scenarios more than anything."

"Oh…" Asuka knew Misato was still lying, at least to some degree. She couldn't imagine Rei participating in conversations involving hypotheticals. She was satisfied, however, that's she'd gotten as honest a reply from the Commander as she was going to get. "Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Trying not to make a big deal out of nothing, that's all." It had to be nothing… She was certain of that… Kind of.

Back at Shinji's Memorial, Rei was stirring her tightly run ship into port. "As soon as whatever project you've been working on is complete, begin packing up your equipment. I'd like to have this site cleared within the hour."

"What about Unit 01 though Captain?" One of the scientists asked. "Are we going to try to extract him or not?"

"As of this moment, no…. We can't take the risk of releasing that thing the process." Rei was referring to Zeus. She held nothing but disdain for the black Eva, and couldn't bring herself to refer to it by any proper name. That monster took her brother away from her after all. "As we now know that Pilot Ikari was not inside the entry plug, there is no rush to extract Unit 01 from the balkelite. If there are no further questions, you all have your orders. Let's try to move as quickly and efficiently as possible. I have an engagement to attend this evening."

Without so much as an explanation to the team she was in charge of, Rei Ayanami left that team to their work as she descended from the top of the Balkelite Mountain to the base. Playing off a hunch, she headed straight for Shinji's Memorial… More specifically, the lock-box they kept near the base of Shinji's tombstone. From her knees, and though she felt hesitant, she summoned the resolve to open the box and peer inside….

Several minutes later, Maya Ibuki walked up behind her team leader, armed with a status report. "Captain Ayanami, we've gather pretty much all the data we're going to be able to get from the sight. We should be packed up and ready to move out in fifteen…" Maya paused once she looked up from her notes and noticed the shocked expression on Rei's face as she held a white, elastic looking article of clothing close to her chest. Maya could've sworn she saw tears in the Captain's eyes, which made sense since tears were leaking down the side of her face. "Captain? Is something the matter?"

"The clothing we left for Shinji is gone… In its place, I found Shinji's plug suit…" Rei's moist eyes looked up at the Lieutenant, and Maya could plainly see the 01 printed on the collar of the suit. Maya's hand immediately went to her mouth.

"What does this mean?"

"One of two things… Either someone's playing a cruel horrific joke on us, and will pay for it dearly when I find out who it is… Or that Shinji is alive, and took the clothes Misato had left for him, leaving his plug suit in their place." Rei put the suit up to her face and inhaled, ignoring the strong stench of LCL. "It even smells like him…"

Rei stared off in the distance thoughtfully, and after a moment or two, whipped out her phone and started dialing. "I'm going to call the Commander back… She needs to know about this."

Toji Suzahara stared at the spread of food like a starving lion eyeing a crippled gazelle. He looked to his left, and then looked to his right. Confident the food was unguarded, and no one was watching, he pounced. Three sausages wrapped in biscuits had no idea what just hit them, and in a flash, they were gone. As Toji chewed hungrily, any further assault on the food meant for the birthday party, was subdued by a firm tug at his ear.

"Toji Suzahara! Don't eat all the food before the party even begins!"

"Relax, I only had a couple!" Toji insisted to his wife. Hikari continued to eye him with that disapproving glare of hers, so any further idea of argument with her went by the wayside.

"A couple is two, not a dozen or more Toji…. Now, will you sit down and leave the food in peace? The party will start soon enough, and then you can stuff yourself to your heart's content."

Seated directly behind the bickering couple, Misato smirked at the adorably predictable antics of the Suzahara's. Any desire she might've had to start teasing eroded away as her phone began to buzz and vibrate. As she feared, it was Rei calling her yet again. Warily, she answered. "Hello again Rei. I hope your calling to tell me that you're on your way to the party." The response Misato received was a frantic spattering of gibberish that Katsuragi couldn't translate in the least. Throughout all the years Rei had worked under her, Misato had never heard her sound more discombobulated. "Rei calm down! I don't understand a word your saying! Take a deep a breath, and repeat everything you just said but slowly this time."

Misato listened as Rei tried to recount her message while speaking like a sane person. The more Rei spoke, the wider her Commander's eyes became. "That can't be… It has to be some kind of sick joke somebody's playing on us… What do you mean it smells like him?! You're not a bloodhound Rei…" The gears in her mind churning, Misato looked around the apartment. Most of the guests had already arrived, including all of Kasumi's friends from school and the neighborhood, as well as a few NERV employees that had become a part of young Kasumi's life due to her mother's active role within the organization. The only person not yet present it would seem, was the birthday girl herself. Misato hated to do this but… "Stay where you are, I'll meet you at Shinji's Memorial in about 30 minutes. Until then, don't mention anything to anybody about what you suspect all right?"

Misato disconnected the call, and immediately began looking for Asuka. Unable to locate her, she settled for interrupting Hikari, who was speaking with a couple of Kasumi's friends from school. "Hikari, do you have any clue where Asuka's gotten off to?"

Hikari shrugged her shoulders. "She's in her room doing something or other… Hopefully calming herself down. She was beginning to stress herself because Kasumi's not back yet…"

"Damn it… Okay, I have to step out for a moment. Hopefully I'll be back in an hour or so, so let Asuka know for me alright?"

"Okay…" Hikari agreed. Though slightly curious as to why Kasumi's 'kind of' grandmother was leaving, she didn't give it much further thought.

Misato headed for the exit, but found it blocked by a mass of bodies, and accompanied by a lot of whooping and hollering all of the sudden. It didn't take long to see why, as in the middle of that mass was the guest of honor, arriving fashionably late to her own birthday party. Shin was standing just behind her wearing a strange grin that was most definitely craving shit. Misato groaned, realizing she was going to have to wait for the mob to disperse before she could leave… And now she'd have to explain to Kasumi why.

"Sorry I'm late everyone, but I have a really good reason!" Kasumi announced. "Even though it's my birthday, I actually have a surprise for all of you!"

"Don't tell us Shin got your pregnant!" one of her friends cracked.

Kasumi ignored the comment, the giggles of her friends, and the embarrassed friend hiding behind her. She was in too damn good of a mood to let anybody ruin it. "Could everyone please step aside so I can call him in here?"

Curious as to who could be so important, Kasumi did appear a tad extra full of herself than usual. The party goers dispersed, leaving a clear path from the door into the apartment. More importantly, they had unwittingly given Misato a bird's eye view of the doorway. Hikari and Toji had conveniently taken up position behind her. Kasumi ducked into the hallway and waved for someone to come towards the opened door. She led in a nervous looking young man who appeared quite sheepish as he walked into the apartment. Most of the guest, who were Kasumi's age, had no clue as to who this person was. Well, they knew of him, but to that point they had no idea what a big deal the new party guess really was. There were three guests though who recognized him immediately, and they all nearly had simultaneous heart attaches the moment they got good looks at him.

Shinji's eyes first came in contact with Misato's, and his face faltered in surprise at how much his former guardian had aged…. And how good she still looked despite her years. Misato had to look twice to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, and still she didn't trust them. This looked like Shinji Ikari for sure, but slightly older… The stare down continued another second or so, before Shinji smiled… And any doubt in Misato's mind was erased instantaneously. "Hello Misato… I'm glad to see the years have been kind to you."

Misato said nothing, though she somewhat aggressively stepped forward and placed a hand on his face, if for any reason just to make sure he was solid. "Shinji… It really is you…Isn't it…. You have stubble... Since when the hell do you have facial hair?!"

"This morning apparently," Shinji laughed, as he placed his hand atop of Misato's, smiling sadly. "Sorry about being gone for so long… Thank you for the clothes though."

"You…" Misato removed her hand from his face and wrapped him in a forceful hug, which Shinji returned in kind. A lot of the kids still weren't sure what was going on, but a few of them were crying anyway, one going as far as to comment on how what they were seeing reminded her of a movie she'd seen. Misato's voice cracked tearfully. "Rei found your plug suit you know?… You had her completely freaking out… I guess she was right…"

Shinji finally noticed Hikari and Toji had been standing right behind Misato… Older versions of his old friends, but unmistakable none the less. Hikari's face was red with tears in her eyes while Toji looked downright dumbstruck.

"Toji… Hikari…" Shinji smiled. Misato released him so he could greet the others. Shinji was a little surprised at how quickly Hikari pounced on him, but returned the embrace happily. As they parted, Toji stepped forward, his hand extended. They started to shake hands, when Toji thought better of it.

"Ah, what the hell…" Toji pulled his long lost friend into a slightly awkward hug that was considerably shorter than the previous two. "It took you long enough… But I'm glad to see you back bro."

"It's good to be back…" Shinji looked over at Hikari and smiled. "I'm assuming its Mrs. Suzahara now?"

"You know it," Toji answered for Hikari and for once she didn't mind.

"Quite a kid you two have there… He mentioned something about you naming him after me?"

"Don't look at me, it was her idea…" Toji pointed at his wife. "I didn't have a problem with it at all, of course."

"Well, it just seemed appropriate considering," Hikari blushed, feeling shy all of the sudden.

From behind Shinji another voice joined the conversation. "May instrumentality take me, I thought I was losing my mind." Shinji recognized that voice immediately. Smiling he turned to see Ryoji Kaji standing there looking almost exactly as he did all those years before. Apparently, he had never learned how to do his tie. "I should've known even a berserk Evangelion wouldn't be enough to hold you. Good show Shinji."

"I didn't do it on my own… I had a lot of help from an old friend… But that's a story for another time."

Near the front door of the apartment, Kasumi leaned back against the wall while enjoying her handiwork. Her friends were beginning to realize who Shinji actually was, and the entire group was starting to buzz. Kasumi couldn't help but notice someone rather important was missing, and her absence bothered her. "Where's Mom?... She should be out here seeing this…"

End of Chapter 21

-Only one more chapter to go... I just had to save the most important reunion for last!