AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whew! Back from three weeks on vacation, most of it spent watching anime! Anime Central was a blast, and I ran into some fellow FF.netters there. (I was dressed as Seta...no, the one without the helmet.) Now that I'm suitably fortified with pocky, yanyan, gashparon figures, and DVDs, on with the show! Oh yeah–as usual, thanks to all who R&R.

Makoto Hyuga, after having deposited Kensuke with the Aestavalis pilots, walked to his own quarters, pressing the button to open the door. "Where's my puss–" He stopped in midsentence as the door opened to reveal two children running towards him "–I mean, where's my Rei?"

"Uncle Makoto!" the children shouted happily. Makoto scooped them up into a hug and nearly collapsed. "Damn! Buddha, you're so huge, you should be picking me up!" The children giggled and protested.

Beyond them, in the tiny common room, sat the children's father, Makoto's old friend Shigeru Aoba, and Rei Ayanami–the second or third incarnation of such, no one was quite sure. Shigeru grinned at Makoto, but Rei's red eyes bore holes through Makoto's chest like painting lasers. Makoto swallowed and set the children down. "Hey, Shigeru," he said, avoiding Rei's glare.

"Hey, Makoto." The two men shook hands and a brief hug. "Good to have you home, man." He snapped his fingers at the children. "Come on, kids! Time to go." They predictably groaned and demanded to stay, but eventually Makoto was able to hustle them out. He winked at Makoto. "You be careful with her, neh?"

"Do not worry about me," Rei said in a tone three degrees below absolute zero. "He is the one who will get it."

"Best of luck, and I get your DVD player if you buy it," Shigeru whispered, and shut the door behind him.

Makoto set his things down, took a deep breath, and decided to face the music. He had lived with Rei for almost six months now, not long after she returned from finding Shinji Ikari. Her former body had died at the hands of the traitorious Kaworu Nagisa, and the clone body lacked the hookups for her to travel into the Eva Matrix. Rei had gone into semi-retirement, working as a defense technician, where Makoto had met her. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but while Rei still had deep feelings for Shinji, it was clear where his heart lay. Makoto, on the other hand, had hazy recollections of a tall, raven haired woman with a love of Yebisu Dry, but those were only dreams. He loved Rei, and was pretty sure Rei felt the same way about him. Given the look he was getting, he wasn't sure about that part. Men who displeased Rei tended to lose entire body parts. He decided to put a smile on it. "I'm gonna get what?"

Rei stood, making Makoto measure the distance to the door. Instead of tearing off an arm or two, she merely folded her arms around her protectively, her look becoming melancholy. "Every ship out there has been home two or three times more than the Bebop."

Not this again, Makoto thought. At first, he had thought Rei missed the false reality of the Eva Matrix, but he now sensed that there was something wrong with Rei besides envy. "I thought we were past this, Rei."

The glare speared him again. "We will get past this when you start operating on another ship."

"I can't do that!"

"Why?" she asked, simply.

"You know why. Heck, you used to be on the Bebop. Or at least one of you was."

"Yes. I also know how Gendo Ikari is, far more than you ever will, Makoto-chan. I never should have suggested that ship when you began operating."

Makoto shrugged. "Maybe, but it's too late now, Rei. I made a promise, and some promises can't be unmade."

Rei abruptly turned away, and Makoto was a little surprised at the pain in her voice. "It is not fair."

He took a chance and walked up behind her. "Nobody said it was gonna be. You think Shigeru thinks it's fair that I'm here and Maya's not?" Makoto knew that both he and Shigeru had shared a past with Maya, along with Ritsuko Akagi. Although there had been some question as to the relationship between Ritsuko and Maya, which seemed a little more than mentor and student, there was no doubt of the affection between Shigeru and Maya. Their two children, Misato and Kaji, had been the result. Only Ritsuko of the Bebop's former crew knew about Maya's children, not even Gendo. Thus it had come as a bittersweet surprise when Maya had told them, shortly before she had succumbed to the wounds inflicted on her by Kaworu. Ritsuko had died at the traitor's hands first, then Toji and Rei's first body. "You're right, it's not fair," Makoto repeated. "But I have to do this."

"I lost three good friends and a piece of myself to that ship, Makoto. I am afraid I will lose more."

"Shinji?" Makoto couldn't resist asking.

"Shinji is my friend–a near and dear one. But you are the one that I love, if I am capable of that."

Makoto hugged her, resting his head on a pale shoulder. "You're not going to lose me. Gendo told me that this is it. The war's gonna be over soon."

"Gendo has said that for as long as I have known him."

"I know, but Maya and Ritsuko believed him." He gently turned her around to face him. "I'll tell you what–after being on that ship and seeing Shinji do the things he can do–I'm starting to believe Gendo too."

Rei put her slim hands on Makoto's chest. "I believe in Shinji. But there is a shadow growing in my mind, Makoto, and I am the seventh clone of a seventh clone." She shuddered. "Someone on that ship will die." She hugged Makoto tightly. "Be careful, Makoto-chan. Please be careful."

Kensuke Aida ran as hard as he could, past the barriers, sparing only a quick salivate over the two Aestavalises guarding the entrance to Terminal Dogma. At a glare from a guard, Kensuke quickly slipped off his shoes and padded into the cavernous chamber.

Terminal Dogma was easily a square kilometer in size, dominated at one end by a concrete tower that would not have been out of place on a battleship. The ground in front of it had been covered in thick mats, and crowded in the chamber was nearly half the population of the Geofront. It was literally standing room only, and the body heat of that many human beings and reasonable fascimilies of such raised the normally cold chamber's temperature considerably. (Not to mention the smell...whew.)

Standing atop the tower was Councilman Kozou Fuyutsuki, dressed in his customary gray uniform. Assembled below him, on the second level of the tower, were the assembled ship's captains and crewmembers, those that could be spared. Among them, Rally Vincent looked for Gendo Ikari, who was nowhere to be seen. The murmur died down as Fuyutsuki began to speak.

"Tonight, my friends," he said in a soft tone that was still able to reach every corner of the great chamber, "let us honor these men and women. These are our soldiers, our warriors–our husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, cousins and significant others, pets and secret admirers, children. Let us remember those that have been last. And let us give thanks for those who have been found and who stand here beside us." He paused for a moment. There were so many there, but so few as well. "Now I would like someone else to close this prayer," he said. "Someone who hasn't spoken from this tower in a long time, but who I believe has something to say that we all need to hear. I give you..."

"Megumi Hayashibara!" someone yelled. The crowd cheered.

"No," Fuyutsuki chuckled. "I give you–"

"Yoko Kanno!" More cheers.

"No, dammit! It's Gendo!"

The room erupted in applause and yells as 1970s style pimp music played over the speakers. Gendo Ikari took the tower's top, dressed in the way he looked inside the Eva Matrix–red turtleneck, black slacks and jacket, with yellow piping, and white gloves. He acknowledged the crowd with a nod, then raised a hand. The crowd instantly ceased, as did the music.

"Ladies and gentlemen, chobits and cabbits, catgirls and otaku!" Gendo's stentorian voice thundered through Terminal Dogma. "Hear me, my friends and somewhat casual acquaintances! It is true, what many of you have heard," he said without preamble. "The Censors have gathered an army, and as I speak that army is drawing nearer to our home. Believe me when I say that we have a difficult time ahead of us."

This got the crowd talking amongst themselves, in hushed, feared whispers. Below Gendo, Rick Hunter turned purple with rage. "But if we are to be prepared for it, we must first shed our fear of it! I stand before you now, truthfully unafraid. Why? Because I believe something you do not? Because I am Gendo Ikari and I have cool shades?

"No! I stand here without fear because I remember. I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me, but because of the path that lies behind me! I remember that for a hundred years the Censors have sent their armies to turn us into toast!" Pieces of bread were flung towards the tower. "After a century of war, I remember that which matters most. We are still here!" The crowd went wild. "Tonight, my friends, let us send a message to that army! Tonight let us shake this cavern! Tonight let us trembled these halls of earth, steel, and stone! Let us be heard from red core to black sky! Tonight, let us make them remember–this is the Geofront, and we are not afraid!" Gendo punched a fist into the air.

There was dead silence. People blinked, not quite sure what Gendo meant. Gendo sighed, and tried again. "Let's PARTY!"

That got the crowd going. The cheers did make the halls shake. Eating and drinking began at top speed, with thunderous J-pop music being blasted from the speakers loud enough to make the Inus digging far above pound the soil in an effort to keep the noise down. Pretty soon the pounding beat, the music, and the beer goggles began to get to everyone and it began turning into a Go-Back style orgy. And if you don't read Elfquest and don't get the reference, tough tookies.

Rally Vincent brought Gendo a can of Three Monks Best Bitter. "Hello, Gendo."

Gendo nodded. "Rally."

"I remember something...I remember you used to dance." She looked towards the crowd. "I remember you were pretty good at DDR."

Gendo smiled and took a drink of the beer. "There are some things in this world, Rally-san, that will never change." He noticed Rick Hunter looking at them, clearing seeing Gendo with a noose around his neck. He called out Rally's name. She turned and waved, then looked back to Gendo, her smile sad now. "And there are some things that do change," he finished.

Shinji stood in the shadows, watching the crowd get plastered. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, knowing what Achilles must have felt watching the Greek army. They were so dependent on his ability. Gendo believed in him so much. I'm good, he could admit to himself, but I'm no great warrior. I'm no Brad Pitt, either.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. It was Asuka, nicely wrapped. Wrapped like a Christmas present made by a nearsighted toddler, that is. Shinji rolled his tongue back up and just shook his head in wonder at her beauty. "I missed you," he said.

"I can tell," she smiled prettily. "Is that a prog knife in your pocket?"

A comment like that was more than enough to send Shinji's mind galloping bedward. "I was thinking...everyone is here."

"Mmm...follow me."

Asuka led Shinji far away from Terminal Dogma, into a small cave that must have been overlooked for generations. She had cleaned it up of dust, however, and placed candles all around. A futon lay in the center, with thin blankets across it.

There then came much sheds of threads, moaning, flailing around, whispered comments, gentle caresses, and shouts of joy. Then they had sex. It was great. The author would write more details, but this is only rated PG-13 and FF.net doesn't take lemons. So the author will leave it to your twisted little imaginations, you little hentai. Let's just say that the toothpick joke doesn't have a shred of accuracy when it comes to this Shinji, and Asuka has grown up since she exposed herself to the Three Stooges, and leave it at that.

After exploring the heights of marital bliss, Shinji and Asuka lay entwined in each other's arms, their naked bodies slick with sweat and soot from the candles. Asuka stared at the ceiling, quite satisfied. She loved it when Shinji used the oven mitts. She turned to see if Shinji was asleep, but he was looking beyond her, to some place she could not see. And unlike a few minutes before, he was not wearing a goofy smile, but looked pensive–way too pensive for a man who had just scored with one of anime's biggest heartthrobs. "Shinji?" she whispered. "What is it? What's wrong? It's okay, you know...you can tell me."

"Asuka..."

"Don't be afraid. I won't bite. Well, no more than I already have."

Shinji looked at her, his hands smoothing back her hair. He was nearly on the verge of tears. His mouth opened once or twice without saying anything, and then finally he struggled out, "I can't lose you."

"You're not gonna lose me." She grasped his hands together with her own. "You feel this? I'm never letting go." Shinji nodded, and Asuka rested his head on her breasts. She brushed his hair lightly with her hands. "I'm never letting go," she repeated, more to convince herself than him.

Back in the unreal world of the Eva Matrix, a skylight window shattered as two Gundams dropped through it. They alighted hard on the concrete floor of the warehouse, cockpit hatches opening to release their pilots. The two young men ran for all they were worth for a ringing telephone.

"You all right?" Heero Yuy yelled over to Duo Maxwell, who was limping badly.

"I'll make it," Duo puffed. "Did you see that Scout? I've never seen anything like it!"

"Doesn't matter now. All that matters is this." He handed Duo the tiny envelope, sealed with a Star of David sigil. "You go first."

Duo nodded, picked up the phone, and de-rezzed into nothingness. Heero caught the phone in midair and replaced it. He waited a moment for it to begin to ring, and then sensed someone behind him. He whirled around and was face to face with a pigtailed blonde dressed in a black fuku and sunglasses. It was impossible that she had gotten there so fast, past the Gundams and without being heard, but she was there. Before Heero could react, she slammed her scepter into his chest. It sank there, and pink tendrils began to swirl outwards, flowing across his body like liquid nitrogen. "Holy Takahashi!" he said, just before the tendrils took away his mouth.

"No, she does Ranma," the Scout replied, and pulled the scepter from Heero's body. It was no longer Heero that stood before her, but a copy of herself. She reached out and adjusted the copy's bowtie. "Thank you," the copy said.

"My pleasure," Serena replied. Both of them looked at the now-ringing phone. "Well, since this is my only scene in this chapter..." Serena raised her hand to her lips. "OH HO HO HO HO HO!"