Disclaimer – see chapter 1.

Homecoming

Part 3 – Staying In and Going Out

By Random1377

There were very few times in Asuka's life that she could say she was actually thunderstruck – she was a woman of action, and as such, she always had something to say to anyone that had something to say to her. This, naturally, was quite the exception to that rule.

"Thank God you can hear me!" Shinji's voice said, sounding tiny and far away. "I thought I might not be able to get through to you."

Finally unlocking her vocal chords, Asuka began, "I can… hear you, but it's all… small. Are you-"

"Ow!" Shinji's voice whined, "That hurts! Don't yell!"

"I'm not yelling," Asuka said angrily, "I'm barely whisper-"

"OW!"

Asuka's mouth snapped closed.

Great, she thought bitterly, I'm talking to a whiney ghost.

"I'm not a ghost… and I'm not whiney! How would you feel if you-"

"Wait," Asuka cut in, "you heard tha-"

"You're yelling again!"

Pursing her lips, Asuka deliberately thought, Shinji's a prick.

"Hey!"

You can hear that? Asuka thought, looking all around for any sign of the Third, though she knew perfectly well she would not find any.

"Yeah… aren't you talking?" Shinji replied, sounding confused. "It's… weird in here, Asuka… I don't like it."

"Hey Asuka," Misato's voice boomed suddenly, "your sync ratio is going up! Looking good."

"Er, thanks…"

"Thanks for what?" Shinji wondered.

I was talking to Misato, Asuka thought, barely remembering not to speak out loud. Didn't you hear her?

"No," Shinji said sadly, "I can see her over there in the pribnow box, now that you're synchronized, but I can't hear her…"

Nodding to herself, Asuka realized that this made sense. If Misato had been standing next to Unit 02's head, Shinji probably would have heard her – since he was Unit 02.

This is messed up…

"You're telling me!" Shinji cried, "Before you started syncing, everything was dark and cold… they turn the EVAs' systems off when they're not in use, you know – it's like being tied up in a closet with no light."

So, Asuka thought, trying to puzzle the situation out, you can hear me when I think… but when I talk, it's like I'm screaming… and you can't hear Misato when she's talking over the comm.-link. Right?

Shinji sounded relieved. "Yeah, yeah!" he said excitedly, "I can 'hear' you like that, and I… wait… now I'm starting to see things too…"

Asuka frowned.

"Up two more points," Misato informed her. "Wow, you're syncing better with Shinji in there than you were with your mother. Can we keep you in a few more minutes?"

"Sure, Misato," Asuka said quietly, trying to avoid bursting Shinji's eardrums… or whatever was the equivalent when they were synchronized.

A sudden jab of anxiety hit her. Hey! she thought suspiciously, What are you seeing?

"Well," Shinji said slowly, "I can see through your eyes, and I'm… starting to pick up what you're feeling, a little, but I'm – oh wow…"

What?

Shinji's voice was suddenly very embarrassed. "I'm, er… seeing things you've seen… or things you want to see, I'm not sure…"

Like what? Asuka demanded. Hey! Don't look, you freak!

"I can't stop it!" Shinji protested. "It's…I'm merging… with you somehow. It's… Kaji?"

NO! Asuka thought desperately, No, don't look at that stuff! Pervert! Hentai! BAKAAA!

There was a very long, very profound silence.

"…can you even bend like that?"

"Asuka!" Misato's voice cried, "Are you ok? What was that scream?"

"I'm fine," Asuka groaned pitifully, "I want to get out now."

"No!" Shinji said desperately. "Don't leave me! I don't like it here, Asuka… don't leave me all alone!"

"Ok," Misato said, "give us just one-"

"No, it's ok… just had a little freak out… let's keep going."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure…"

Stop going through my fant- er thoughts, you psycho! Asuka thought as soon as Misato clicked off the comm. link.. That's private! And don't tell me you can't – you can think of something else, or… or look away or something!

Shinji's voice was pathetic as he replied, "Yes, ma'am…"

Good, Asuka thought firmly, now, I have to get out of here so I can see how to get YOU out of here, alright? Tell me what happened when your body got broken apart, and I'll talk to Doctor Akagi to see how we can get things back the way they should be.

"But what about your mother…?"

Asuka hesitated. I… I don't know, she thought, she's… not the person I remember.

"So you're ok with her getting stuck in here instead of me?" Shinji wondered. "We just met… why do you-"

What is it? Asuka thought as Shinji cut himself off, what's wrong? Did something happen? Her blood ran cold. What did you see…?

"N-nothing," Shinji stammered, "I'll… I'll be waiting for when you get back."

Alright, Asuka thought back, trying to guess at what he had seen. She gritted her teeth as she thought more about the topic of conversation, and she clenched her eyes closed, willing her mind to focus on something else… but it was too late. Shinji knew everything – Asuka could sense that he did, what with synchronization being a two-way affair and all. There was nothing she could do to take that knowledge back… nothing she could say to explain how violated this made her feel… nothing to take the edge off of the rage-tinged pain ripping through her as she felt Shinji cringe back from her.

Fortunately, she did not have to speak – mentally or otherwise – for Shinji to understand.

"…I'm sorry. Asuka, I'm so sorry."

( 0 0 0 )

Rei glanced around the crowded, seedy bar with obvious distaste. "This environment is… desirable?"

"For getting tanked?" Kyoko said brightly. "Absolutely!"

The First pulled a bit closer to her companion, not out of any fear of being harmed of course, but to avoid accidentally brushing up against any of the unclean tables… or patrons.

Together with Kyoko, she sidled up to the bar, mounting a stool with great reluctance as the older woman flagged down the bartender. "I need a shot!" Kyoko demanded, raising a cheer from the barflies. "Give me a double of anything but Goldschlager – and a Long Island Iced Tea for my girlfriend!"

Turning to Rei, she gave the girl a wink.

"You don't mind being my date tonight, do you? Promise I won't cop a feel."

Though she had been trained to suppress her emotions, Rei had very little experience with physical contact or ideas of affection and romance – so the very idea of having the Second Child's mother touching her brought a pale blush to her cheeks. "It would not be appropriate," she muttered, trying to edge away from the woman, "perhaps I should wait in the car."

Kyoko waved a hand. "Now, now," she said patiently, "I wouldn't really touch you, you silly thing – but if anyone asks if you're here with someone, it's me." Her smile softened as she lowered her voice and leaned a little closer to whisper, "That way you won't get hit on as much. A lot of guys will respect a girl with another girl more than a girl by herself. There will be some that won't be bothered by it of course… hell, some dig that stuff, but trust me – being my 'date' is much better than being prey."

As if to illustrate her point, a rather corpulent man staggered up to Rei. "Hey," he slurred, smiling drunkenly as he leaned over her, "you here alone, sweetheart?"

Rei felt that this was a stupid question, as she was dressed identically to Kyoko and had walked in the door with her, but instead of pointing this out, she simply murmured, "Yes, I am here with my… girlfriend."

"Izat right?" the drunk mumbled, wheeling away in search of easier targets. "Good ones're always taken…"

"See?" Kyoko said happily, pressing a tall glass into Rei's hand, "Just stay close to me."

Rei nodded, taking a sip of her iced tea and finding it remarkably sweet. "This is very good," she observed, smacking her lips as she considered the drink.

"Isn't it just?" Kyoko said impishly, "Drink it slow, ok? If you like something, you should savor it – free advice from me to you."

As Rei murmured that she would, Kyoko turned her attention to her shot.

"Kanpai," she whispered, upending the double with a quick flick of her wrist and coughing as the alcohol burned its way down her throat.

"Been a while, has it?" a voice at her elbow remarked.

Kyoko grinned, pounding her chest dramatically as she replied, "Seven years sober, young man, seven years sober. Never was much of a drinker to begin with – low tolerance and all that – but every now and then, it does a body good to get rip-roaring drunk."

"Should you be telling a complete stranger that you have a low tolerance?" the man on the stool next to her commented, arching an eyebrow in shock.

"Why should I?" Kyoko asked, smiling as the booze began to warm her stomach.

"Well, I might take advantage of you," the man said easily, giving her a blatant once-over. "Probably will, when you get right down to it."

Ordering a second shot – a single this time, with a beer chaser – Kyoko said, "Maybe I wouldn't mind… though I think my daughter might have some choice words for me if I did."

"Ahh there's always a daughter," the man said wisely, "or a lesbian lover, or something like that. Excuses, excuses."

"But I'm so good at making them, Mister Kaji," Kyoko said innocently, turning her full attention to the pony-tailed man at her side. "Not unlike yourself, I'd imagine. It must have been quite a trick to get past the watchdogs your 'Commander' set on us… they seem tenacious."

Kaji shrugged, glancing into his drink as he muttered, "Eh… came in the back door. They weren't even looking."

Kyoko laughed with delight. "A man after my own heart!" She grinned wolfishly, "And Asuka's. You do know what synchronization means, don't you young man? What it really means to unite with another soul."

"Well," Kaji drawled, "I was rather hoping you could shed some light on that for me… that and a few other little question marks I've had bumping around in my mind for a while."

"Ohh and how were you going to get that information from me, Mister Kaji?" Kyoko teased. "Seduce me?"

"Thought crossed my mind… but I'm guessing I wouldn't be the one doing the seducing."

Kyoko glanced at Rei, pleased to find the girl simply glancing around the bar and nursing her Long Island as she watched the nightlife. So far, she seemed completely unaware that the other NERV employee was with them.

"It has been seven years, Mister Kaji," Kyoko said seriously, turning her eyes back to the man, "I wouldn't be adverse to a little affection… though knowing what's in my daughter's head might make it a little hard for me to live with myself in the morning."

"Mmm," Kaji hummed, "but letting an innocent boy take your place in Unit 02's core leaves you sleeping like a baby."

"Aren't we high and mighty," Kyoko muttered, throwing her second shot back and grimacing with distaste. "Let me tell you something, young man… seven years in the cold and dark, with only a few flashes of warmth and human contact – from a daughter you know you can never talk to again – can alter a person's point of view ever so slightly. So, as the old saying goes, until you've walked a mile in my shoes, shut the hell up."

Kaji chuckled. "I don't think that's the exact saying," he mused, "and please forgive my clumsy attempts to get you riled up – you seemed so smooth with the Commander, I didn't think I'd actually get to you."

"Normally you wouldn't," Kyoko said, her smile returning as she tapped her glass against Kaji's, "catch me after a full night's sleep and it's a different story."

Returning her smile, Kaji inclined his chin towards Rei. "She has no idea what she's drinking, does she?"

Kyoko shrugged. "I told her to take it slow, and I won't buy her a second… but have you met the girl? Good lord, I thought Rokubungi was tightly wound – she makes him look like a hippy."

Kaji laughed, shaking his head as Kyoko took a sip of her beer. "So," he said boldly, "can I ask you a few things, or do I have to get you drunk and sleep with you first?"

Setting her glass down, Kyoko said, "Don't kill my buzz, young man. I know you're dying to know what I know – it's coming off of you like bad cologne – but tonight's not the night."

"This is the best place," Kaji insisted, "who knows when the Commander will let you out of his sight again."

Kyoko patted him on the hand. "You poor, poor stupid man," she said consolingly, "I split my time between this branch and Gehrin Germany on a week-by-week schedule –and I went drinking with Naoko Akagi on a regular basis. Hell, we were at a strip club together less than a week before she killed herself. I know more about your headquarters than Rokubungi does, believe me. The only way he could keep me there is to kill me – which we both know he's not going to do. Don't worry… you'll get what you want."

Kaji shook his head with wonder. "Bits and pieces, huh?" he marveled. "You lied straight to the Commander's face – you remember everything, don't you? Good God, woman, I think I love you…"

"It's only a lie if someone uncovers it, young man, otherwise it's just… discretion."

"Which is the better part of valor," Kaji concluded approvingly. "Alright, then, I think I'll be on my way – let you enjoy the rest of your evening and whatnot. Just don't forget me next time you break out."

"Deal."

Laying a bill on the counter, Kaji called the bartender. "For the ladies," he said coolly, tapping the bill for emphasis, "and umm… just bring the blue-haired one Coke from now on, ok?"

"Mister Kaji."

"Hmm?"

"…thank you for not taking advantage of my daughter."

Kaji bowed formally. "I've been called some rude names in my past, Misses Souryu," he said lightly, "I don't plan to add 'scumbag' to the list."

Kyoko grinned, nudging the man in the ribs as she confided, "I thought I raised her better, Mister Kaji – honestly… but some of the things she's come up with? Yikes! Maybe going to college that young wasn't such a good thing for her. Put too many ideas into that pretty little head of hers."

Chuckling softly, Kaji replied, "Please spare me the details of your daughter's imaginary sex life with me, alright? I find it… creepy."

"You and me both," Kyoko said fervently, "Lord the things that girl thinks of…"

In spite of his professed disinterest in the young redhead, Kaji still shivered as Kyoko offered one final commentary on her daughter's fantasies.

"I don't even think she can bend like that…"

( 0 0 0 )

"Hey," Misato said, waving to Asuka as she emerged from the locker room. "You ok?"

"Mm?" Asuka said distractedly, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine… just tired as hell. What time is it anyway?"

"Nearly dawn."

"Ouch…"

Misato nodded. "Tell me about it," she commiserated, heading towards the parking garage with Asuka trailing along behind, "I have to be on shift in like, ten hours." They walked in silence for several minutes before the older woman finally gathered up the courage to ask, "So with Shinji in there… was it… really different?"

Asuka bit her lip, remembering her agreement with Shinji to keep his communiqués with her a secret for now – just in case Ritsuko decided it was dangerous and kept her from coming back, leaving him alone again. "It felt the same for controlling Unit 02," she answered truthfully, "but it was a completely different… I don't know how to describe it – it's a feeling you only get from piloting EVA, but it was a different sync, I guess."

"Could you… feel Shinji in there?"

Time to lie.

"Well, not him, I don't think – or, you know, not like, something I could recognize… it was just syncing with EVA, only a little different."

She didn't like withholding the truth from Misato – they had known each other for quite some time, after all – but she and Shinji had determined that the fewer people that knew the truth, the better. That Akagi woman is the one that can help, Asuka reminded herself, no one else needs to know about Shinji's… awareness besides her. She slowed her pace. Mother, she thought slowly, what am I doing? I have my mother back, and I'm scheming to get her back into Unit 02. Damn, yesterday I didn't even know she was there, and now she's back to life, and I'm trying to… to get rid of her. What am I doing?

A light touch on her shoulder made her look up suddenly.

"Are you really ok?" Misato whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Asuka said coolly, "get off of me, ok? I've had a long day."

Misato nodded, but did not step out of the girl's way. "You don't need to feel bad about Shinji, you know," she murmured, "we'll get him out."

Asuka averted her eyes. "Why would I worry about him?" she said quietly, "I don't even know him."

Liar! her mind screamed. I'm lying all over the place. There was nothing the same about that last sync – nothing at all. Normally it's just me and the EVA, that's why I didn't know Mama was there… but this time I knew someone else was there, and we… God, we bleed into each other, that's what it feels like. She rubbed absently at her arm as Misato sighed and stepped away from her. I'll bet I smell like him right now.

"You know," Misato said as they started walking again, "Shinji's not that bad once you get to know him. I think you guys would get along, if you gave him a chance and got to know him."

This comment struck Asuka as amusing.

If she got to know Shinji? She knew him better than anyone, after that sync test! He knew her secrets… and she knew his. It would almost be better if he never got out, because there was no way she could look him in the eye. Not now. Not with everything the way it was.

"And what do you think of Shinji?" she asked suddenly. "He seems kind of wimpy to me."

She knew what Shinji's perception of Misato's feelings was, of course, but she was curious to see how accurate it was. Seeing the world through someone else's eyes can skew your own views, she reasoned… and it would be best not to jump to conclusions without getting all the facts first.

After all, the sync did not let her read peoples' minds.

…just Shinji's.

"He can be a little unreliable," Misato admitted, "but overall, I think he's a great guy. I'll be doing everything I can to get him back."

Store that away for next sync, Asuka thought, inexplicably pleased that she would be bringing Shinji some good news.

"Would you go out with him?"

Misato came up short.

Woops, Asuka thought, that one kind of popped out, huh? Must be because I'm so tired.

After a moment, Misato kept walking. "No," she said finally, "I wouldn't."

"Ah."

"…unless he was older."

Unsure if this was a joke or not, Asuka glanced at the woman's profile.

"How did we get on this topic again?"

"You brought it up," Misato pointed out.

"No," Asuka corrected, "you were the one trying to hook me up with Shinji."

"I was not! I was just saying he's a nice guy!"

"…a nice guy you want!"

Misato's jaw dropped. "I… I do not!" she stammered, hurrying to catch up as Asuka suddenly sprinted ahead.

"Misato and Shinji, sitting in a tree," Asuka sang merrily, "K-"

"Don't you dare!"

Laughing out loud, Asuka hurried forward, trying her best to pretend that her joy was based on life itself, and not the sudden remembrance that she was free to do what she wanted, rather than being trapped inside a giant, unfeeling machine.

Continued…

Author's notes: in case it was not clear enough in the bar scene – Rei could not see or hear Kaji because Kyoko was in the way and the bar was very loud. I kept looking at that scene to find ways to improve it, and that one detail just never quite gelled for me. Oh well, eh? So, Kyoko's had her night on the town, Asuka's found out the truth about Shinji – and Shinji's found out the truth about her. What could possibly come next? Why, heavy weapons fire and massive collateral damage! Or possible a hung-over Rei, I'm not really sure. I'd put it to a vote, but by the time this chapter goes online, the next one will be half written. Hopefully, anyway.

No pre-reader was used for this chapter.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-sign)yahoo(dot)com.