Disclaimer: yeah okay… Again. I don't own NGE. You guys know the reasons.

December 21, 2032

Waking up to the light shining through his blinds, Kenji rolled on to his side. He tried to fall back to sleep. But it wasn't working. He was up, and wasn't liking it.

"Damn it… Might as well get up." Kenji whispered to him self.

Sitting up in his bed, Kenji swung his legs over the side of his bed. Sitting there he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then he scratched him self. Still not completely awake, Kenji tried the donating task of standing. When he did he stretched; bones popping at the joints. Walking to the door he was about to leave when his cell phone went off. Not finding it on his desk he started to search himself over. He found the phone in his pocket.

"Hello?" He said with a yawn. "Natsuki! Hi what's going on?"

Kenji listened to his friend as he made his way down stairs for anything that might be eatable; and with any luck his mother hasn't made any breakfast for him before she went off to work.

"Germany? Who the hell did you end up there?"

Entering the kitchen Kenji found evidence that his mother was indeed cooking this morning. Opening the fridge Kenji found what looked to be pancakes. Kenji cringed at the sight of his mother's latest attempt at cooking.

"In the hospital! Are you alright?" Kenji asked; closing the fridge. Then he started to search for something to eat. "Well, at least you're doing alright. So are you still going to England?"

Finding a box of pop-tarts, Kenji figured that it would be better then nothing at all. Taking the last package; Kenji opened it and placed the two items in the microwave.

"I'm sorry, that sucks ass. So how long are you going to be in the hospital?" Kenji asked. "Are you still going to be able to see your parents?"

Opening the microwave; he went about taking his breakfast out of the oven "Man that blows…."

Germany's NERV hospital

Natsuki sat there in her hospital bed, the phone help close to her ear.

"Yeah, so Mr. Krefta came and checked up on me when he heard what happened." Natsuki said. "So what's going on over there?"

Natsuki sat there in the bed; she played with the phone cord. "Really, she got that bad? What'd you do about it?"

Natsuki reached for a glass of water that was placed on a night stand next to her bed first she tried to with her right arm, but a sharp pain seared through out her arm. Hissing in pain. She switched arms to reach for the glass. "Get her some noodles and took her home… hay you two didn't?"

Natsuki took a sip of the water as she listened to Kenji's story. Well… a slightly different version from what really happened. "Good thing you didn't. She's like a sister to me."

Natsuki listened some more, but soon got the warning that her phone card was running out. "Look Kenji, I've gotta go. My card is about up I'll talk to you later…. Okay bye."

Hanging up the phone, Natsuki sat there in the hospital bed. With her left hand she grabbed on to her wounded arm and turned her head to look out the window.

Tokyo-3

Having taken a shower, Kenji was starting to get board again. Flopping down at the TV, Kenji started to flip through the channels, but as always where was nothing on.

'I really need to stop letting her have some of my pot…" Kenji thought to himself. 'It just makes her way out of control. Sure I wouldn't mind getting some action. But not like that…'

Kenji sat there thinking more about the night before, then he remembered the computer chip that was in his mom's make up; and the stuff he had written down from the chip it self.

Leaving the living room, Kenji found him self in his own bedroom and working in front of the computer looking for anything that can help him.

Germany's NERV hospital

Laying there in her hospital bed, Natsuki just stared at the ceiling. Her arm still throbbing in pain she grabbed the morphine button in hopes that it would provide any relief. Pressing it a couple times, the pain relief didn't come quickly. Letting a heavy sigh escape, Natsuki's memories where a bit hazy she couldn't even remember getting on the plane.

'Everything is so hazy… The trip, my parents, everything… what happened?'

Feeling the drugs kick in, Natsuki started to drift back asleep. As she fell ever deeper in to sleep. Natsuki could hear the far off noise of a construction site, mostly the racking noise of a jack hammer.

Sounds soon gave way to images, hazy ones. They didn't make since to Natsuki at first; flashing lights and sirens where all she could make out, then abstract noises and lights gave way to full images. Guards… lots of guards; each armed and shooting… Shooting at her.

Watching it like a movie Natsuki watched her self calmly round a corner armed with only two handguns. Bring both of the guns up and fire. The guard's bullets seemed to fall short of her in a fading orange wall. Then her own guns ran out of bullets. Dropping the two weapons to the ground, Natsuki watched her self bring an arm up and swing it. Forcing the fading orange wall out wards at a group of guards splitting then apart. Blood sprayed all over the walls. The spraying blood traveled clear to Natsuki covering her from head to tow.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Natsuki found her self in her hospital room. She franticly searched her self over for any blood, all she found was some blood bleeding through the bandage on her right arm. Pressing the call button as fast as she could, Nurses started to fill the room.

"It's bleeding through!"

The nurse checked the bandage and smiled. "You just need to have it changed. It's going to do that for a couple more days."

Natsuki started to calm down as the nurse started to change the bandage. When it was off, Natsuki looked at the gash. It looked bad but was stitched up. Then the nurse put some antibiotics and covered it back up with a fresh bandage.

'I need to get out of here, I hate hospitals…' Natsuki thought to her self as she watched the Nurse. "Say how long am I going to stay here, it's almost Christmas and I would really like to get back home."

The Nurse shrugged her shoulders. "You still have a slight bump on the head…" She said. "…A couple days. Where is your home?"

Natsuki looked down. "Clear in Tokyo-3…"

Tokyo-3: Later afternoon. 2032, December 21

Walking in to a computer supply store, one he knew well. His uncle Kensuke owned it. Walking in he was greeted by the girl that was working at the front counter. Kenji knew her; she was a girl he went to school with.

"Ryoji, why are you here?" The girl asked.

At school Kenji had taken his fathers name. He had thought that Ryoji was far more of a dashing name then Katsuragi. And he was right; the girls love Kenji Ryoji, kind of like his dad, eh.

Kenji walked up to the counter, and lend on to it. "Well I was in the area and I needed to do some shopping. It seems that you're working here now?"

"I needed some Christmas cash, so I came here and the owner was more then willing to take me in."

Kenji smiled. "My Uncle is like that… Wait was he with anyone when he did the interview?"

The girl thought about it. "Yeah there was this lady with light powder blue hair."

Kenji shook his head. "That was my Aunt Rei; if she wanted my uncle to hire you then she must have been impressed by your application." Kenji said. "Speaking of, would you happen to know where I can find my uncle?"

"He's in the store room, going through the new shipment."

Pushing himself from the counter, Kenji planted his hands into his pockets. "Thanks"

Walking to the back of the small store, Kenji found his Aunt Rei going through the inventory. Kneeling down to count a stack of computer magazines, Kenji watched as she tried to get back up.

"Here Aunt Rei, let me help you." Kenji said offering his hand to help his vary pregnant Aunt. "Should you really be on your feet? I mean how far along are you?"

"Thank you Kenji… And I'm eight months along." Rei said. "I still can do my part here at the store."

Kenji let out a heavy sigh. "And how dose Uncle Kensuke think about that?"

Rei then marked something down on her clip board. "He really has no say in the matter."

Kenji let another sigh out. It was the same thing the last time His Aunt and Uncle where expecting. Rei wanted to continue with her collage classes clear up to the due date. In matter of fact her water had broke while she was in a physics class. In other words Rei hasn't let anything slow her down, not even motherhood.

"Any ways, is uncle Kensuke in the back?" Kenji asked.

"He is, and he can use an extra hand with the truck."

"Okay Aunt Rei, Thanks." Kenji said. "And if you need any help with Ayumi give me a call and I'll be more then happy to help out."

Rei smiled. "I'll keep that in mind but Ayumi is a bit of a hand full."

It was true; Ayumi Aida was a bit of a hell raiser for only being seven years old. She had already caused trouble for her middle school. You name she's done it all; just short of catching the place on fire.

"It's no problem." Kenji said with a smile. "By the way how are the twins doing? Better yet how are you doing lugging the two of them around?"

Rei rolled her eyes. "They're healthy… Considering they're rolling summersaults…."

Kenji then blinked a couple times. "Okay… Um I'm going to see Uncle Kensuke."

Leaving his Aunt to her work and her mumblings about lugging around two kids. Kenji made his way to the store room where he found his uncle unloading the last of the boxes.

"Ah Kenji, what brings you here?" Kensuke said signing for the shipment. "Here getting something for your mom's office?"

Kenji shook his head. "No, I'm looking for something else."

Kenji reached in to his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "I'm looking for something that takes this chip… Would you have anything for it?"

Kensuke readjusted his glasses. "Let me check…" Kensuke went over to a computer and started to type. "This might take a couple of minutes, while I look this up I don't suppose you wouldn't mind helping around the store?"

Kenji shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah sure, that's cool."

Twenty minutes later…

"… That's right fellow students. This computer is custom made by none other then Kensuke Aida." Kenji said to a line of other high school students. "I my self use such a machine and its top notch."

Kenji turned on the red, high school lap top. "This computer utilizes the latest and greatest in micro-processing technology. And lets you have the edge on education. Please step up and try this fine machine, you." Kenji pointed at a school girl that was out doing some shopping for the Christmas shopping session. "What's your number one complaint with the schools computers?"

"Their slow… and peaces of junk."

Kenji smiled. "That's right! Please step on up and try out this fine machine."

Kensuke watched as Kenji did his thing. "Tell me Rei, why doesn't Kenji work for me?"

Rei slowly lowered herself down to a chair. "He hasn't applied for employment."

Kensuke then kissed his wife on her fore head. "That's right… " Kensuke then kneeled down and placed his left ear on Rei's stomach. "And you two, you're not giving your mommy any troubles are you?"

"Constantly…"

Germany: NERV Hospital

Still there in her hospital room, Natsuki was starting to go stir crazy. She hated quite places, she hated being alone. Seeing her cloths neatly folded and her back pack off at the other end of the room. Taking a moment to think about it, she had figured that it would be better then laying there in a hospital. Her chance to see her parent in… she didn't know how long had past and that would mean going back to Mr. Krefta. So getting up from the bed, Natsuki instantly felt the cool air hit her, through the open back of her hospital robe.

Minutes later, Natsuki was standing in an elevator making her way down to the lobby. As she made her way to the ground floor, Natsuki cringed at the music that was playing in the elevator car.

Once at the ground floor, Natsuki simply walked out of the hospital and on to the streets. Once out of the building, Natsuki reached in to her back pack and pulled out her cell phone…

Tokyo-3

Laying there in her own bed, Aya rolled to reach for her ringing cell phone. Finding it on her night stand, she pulled it back under the blankets with her.

"Hello…"

She listened to the phone for a moment; nothing really clicking in with her. Then she realized that it was Natsuki on the other end of the phone. "Natsuki? Where are you aren't you supposed to be in London?" "Germany? How the hell did you end up there!"

Aya sat up in her bed, listening to the story. "Wait you called Kenji already? When was that?"

Again Aya listened to her friend. "I see… Okay, so why'd you call me?"

The blond searched around for any sign of her slippers… She couldn't find them. "Money? To get home, yeah I think I can wire you it. But what about you mom and dad?"

"I see… Yeah give me about an hour and I'll have that money wired to you at the airport."

Aya sat there at the edge of her bed and thought about it all. Why did Natsuki call Kenji first and not her and why did Kenji not call her when he had talked to Natsuki.

Across town Kenji was just walking out of his Aunt and Uncles store with a bag of three different data storage devices. Buttoning up his coat, Kenji started for the train station when his cell phone went off. Pressing a cross walk button before he pulled out the phone.

"Hello?" Kenji cheerfully greeted. "Aya? How did you sleep last night?"

Kenji held the phone away from his ear, waiting for the yelling from the other end to subside. When it was over he put the phone back to his ear. "What was that? And please don't yell."

Kenji listened as he walked across the street. "Yeah… She called and told me where she was at. I didn't think anything of it. she had said your dad was there."

"Aya, I didn't think anything of it, she didn't say a thing about needing help to get home…." Kenji then let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, Aya. Why don't we meet up some where and I'll help out too."

December 22, 2032: Tokyo-3 International Airport.

02:20

Standing at the gate where Natsuki was supposed to arrive at. Aya and Kenji waited. Letting out a long yawn, Kenji scratched the back his head.

"…Why is Natsuki's flight due here?" Kenji asked.

Aya rubbed her eyes. "I don't know…. God, I'm tired….. I think she said two thirty."

Kenji glanced at his watch. "Well she should be here any minute."

Just then two men ran by with a stretcher. This made Kenji and Aya wonder.

"Maybe an old person had a heart attack during landing?" Aya said to her self, thinking out loud.

They watched as the two men ran in to the gate. Then Kenji shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going to get something from the soda machine… You want anything?"

"Something that's grape."

"Okay, grape soda it is…. I know Natsuki would want anything that's crammed packed with caffeine."

While Kenji was off getting something to drink for him self and his friends, Aya stood there at the gate waiting for Natsuki. Then she watched the two men that had ran by earlier come back off from the air craft with someone on the stretcher. As they got closer to Aya she could tell that the person on the stretcher was none other then Natsuki.