Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion and all rights got to there respective owners. Also all OC's are the creation of JimmyWolk himself.
SPOILER WARNING: This contains spoilers for the fanfic "The 2nd Try" and it's sequel comic Aki-Chan's Life" which is all done by JimmyWolk. So If you haven't read that then you should definitely stop right here and check those out first before continuing.
Summary:
Toji, Hikari and Kensuke decide to drop in to visit their friends and catch up.
"Dropping in to Visit"
"Do you think those two or even Miss Misato might know if the stuff that's been going round on the net is all true or not?" Kensuke asked Toji and Hikari as they walked down the road, on route to the Katsuragi/Ikari/Soryu apartment.
"Kensuke, would you please shut up about that stuff?" Toji said, clearly annoyed as they neared the apartment complex. "You been going on and on about this non stop for days now."
"Besides, even if Asuka, Ikari and Miss Katsuragi knew about that stuff, I doubt they would tell us anyway. It would be classified information." Hikari added in, hoping that the military enthusiast friend would drop the issue.
"Well, technically since it's all over the internet, it's not exactly classified anymore." Kensuke countered with his logical reasoning while pushing back his glasses to his nose.
"Kensuke!" Toji replied with warning tone that was telling him to drop it. Unfortunately it didn't seem to deter Kensuke.
"Aww, come on guys, aren't you at least curious about it? I mean, what about that secret society Shinji and Asuka mentioned at the party. SEELE asn't it? That they were controlling everything since World War Two, many corrupt government officials, illegal weapons and technology, especially on the stuff about cloning people!" The bespectacled teen cried out, seemingly feeling both ecstatic and also terrified on the information he was able to find.
"Yeah, it's all crazy man and that's exactly why I'm choosing not to read up on it." Toji said.
"Oh come on man, can't we just ask…!" Kensuke tried to continue but stopped when Hikari promptly stood in front of him with a mean glare, a glare he and Toji plus everyone else in their class was all to familar with, the dreaded class rep glare.
"Kensuke, enough is enough, we are going to visit our friends and I don't want another word from you on government conspiracies and such for the rest of this evening, plus Asuka and Ikari-Kun explicitly said before that they don't want to talk about any of that stuff around Aki-chan. Do you understand!" Hikari said with a raised voiced while poking his chest with a finger on the last sentence.
"Yes ma'am!" Kensuke responded stiffly straightened up on the spot. Toji also did the same next to him despite not being the target of his girlfriend's wraith for once.
Hikari seeing the result on not only Kensuke but her boyfriend too made her smirk in triumph but she quickly turned around as to not show it to the two boys before walking ahead of them.
"Jeez Toji your girlfriend is scary, even when out of the classroom." Kensuke whispered to his friend.
"Shut up man!" was Toji's only comeback to such a response.
Eventually all three got to the apartment complex and it was there that they saw a familiar face and blue hair waiting for the elevator to arrive.
"Hey Ayanami!" Toji called out as he, Hikari and Kensuke slightly rushed to meet the former Eva pilot at the elevator.
Rei turned to see three familiar faces of her classmates. "Hello Miss Horaki, Mr Suzuhara and Mr Aida."
"Hey Ayanami, are you on your way to see the married couple." Toji said.
"If your referring to Ikari-kun and Soryu-san then yes." Rei replied with her normal stoic expression.
"Cool, all three of us were gonna pop in to see them too, as it's been awhile since we last saw them." Kensuke said.
"I see." Was Rei's only reply before turning back to wait for the elevator. As usual, the three always found it difficult and even still unnerving to talk with the blue haired girl even with all the recent stuff that's been happening around her at school as of late.
Eventually, all four got into the elevator and shortly arrived at the right floor level and were walking to the apartment.
"I wonder how everyone has been lately?" Kensuke asked out loud finally breaking the long silence.
"They have been fine, Aki has gotten acclimated to her time in kindergarten, Ikari and Soryu have been well and Major Katsuragi has been continuing work within NERV headquarters." Rei answered Kensuke's question just as they arrived at the door.
"Oh…that's cool to hear." Kensuke said, clearly he didn't expect Rei to actually answer his question for real. A part of him was tempted to ask her specifically what work Miss Misato was doing but remembered the lecture/threat earlier and wisely kept his mouth shut.
Rei pressed the doorbell to the Katsuragi/Ikari/Soryu apartment and shortly after heard footsteps approaching the door. Soon the door opened and to a bit of a surprise to everyone present it was Shinji who answered the door, all having expected Aki to be the one to greet them.
Upon seeing his friends, Shinji smiled at them. "Oh hi guys."
"Good afternoon, Ikari." Hikari greeted with a traditional and formal bow.
"Hey buddy, it's been awhile." Toji said.
"Yeah, I guess it's has been awhile." Shinji replied before stepping to the side, giving them room to enter past him. "Please come in, I was about to get dinner started soon. Are you hungry?" Shinji asked while his friends came in, removing their shoes by the hallway.
"Nah, I'm fine man. I'm still kind of bloated from Hikari's excellent bento from earlier." Toji said while Hikari showed a tiny blush at Toji's compliment of her cooking.
"It's cool Shinji, my dad's working late and he gave me some yen to get takeout later." Kensuke said.
"Thanks for the offer Shinji, but I have to decline also. I'm cooking for my family later." Hikari added her excuse politely.
Shinji nodded at his friends before turning to Rei. "What about you, Rei? I can cook up some vegetarian Stir-fry for you?" Shinji offered.
Rei seemed to think on the offer given her slight pause but eventually nodded. "Yes please…thank you." Rei thanked him with a slight blush on her face.
"So buddy, where's Aki-chan?" Toji asked. "Normally she the one that's been answering the door lately."
"Oh she's inside with Asuka. It's just that's she kind of busy creating another work of art as she called it." Shinji laughed slightly. Clearly Aki had been trying to improve her drawings after seeing Rei photorealistic ones.
As the gang entered the apartment fully and saw Asuka sitting on the couch reading a magazine, PenPen watching some swimming event on TV while laying on a beanbag a bit further away and Aki was currently drawing on the floor. Asuka, upon hearing extra voices turned to see the gang and smiled and got up to greet them
"Hey guys, nice to see you." Asuka happy replied while she gave Hikari a quick hug before her eyes turned to see Rei who nodded back to her. Eventually her eyes landed on to Toji and Kensuke, her face turned to a deadpanned expression. "Well most of you at least."
Toji was about to retort to that response but he was interrupted by Aki finally looking up from her drawings before she bolted up running to greet them, with her ending up hugging Rei's leg.
"Rei! Hikari! Toji! Kenny!" Aki cheerily greeted them, though Kensuke's eye slightly twitched at her mistake on his name.
"It's Kensuke, Aki-chan." Kensuke corrected the four year old.
"Oh…Ok Kensuke!" Aki happily corrected herself.
After that the gang all gathered around and sat down at the kitchen table, minus Rei and Aki who went to the living room due to Aki dragging Rei there to play with her.
"So how have you guys all been?" Shinji asked as he started preparing dinner.
Toji sighed heavily. "It's been the same old cra…stuff at school." Toji quickly interjected after Asuka gave a menacing look to him, making sure that he didn't curse in Aki presence. It also wasn't just Asuka giving him the look but Hikari (both for his near swearing and disrespect of the school) and even Shinji was giving him a disapproving look.
After moment Hikari finally let up on her boyfriend and decided to take over in continuing the conversation. "It hasn't been the same old stuff, Toji." Hikari lectured her boyfriend. "School has started getting more busy now and many of the other classes and other years are starting to fill up now that more students are coming in." Hikari said and looked at Asuka and Shinji. "It wouldn't surprise me if they will start giving away your place in class since you've been absent for so long."
Asuka and Shinji knew what Hikari was trying to say. If they wouldn't come back to school soon they might not be able to was what she is implying.
"Yeah and a lot of people are actually missing you guys and wondering where you are," Kensuke said before grinning. "It's just not the same without the class's bickering married couple." He teased the two and saw the couple blush a tint at that before they smiled briefly.
"Not only that, but you guys not coming back has started everyone making assumptions and spread rumours. And why you haven't come back yet while Ayanami has." Hikari told the two.
"Heck it's gotten to the point that people have been asking us about you guys." Toji added in.
"You guys haven't said anything, have you?" Shinji asked, a bit wary and afraid of the implications, especially if their friends told others about the whole time travel and more importantly about their daughter Aki.
"No, no, we haven't said anything other then the fact that you guys are alive and ok." Hikari reassured them.
"Yeah, even I'm not that stupid to mention the whole time travel thing as cool as the idea is. Even when you guys have at least one prove of evidence that confirms it's true." Kensuke said while giving a quick look to Aki who was drawing along with Ayanami.
"And it will stay unmentioned, Kensuke." Asuka slightly warned him as she saw him looking at her daughter. "So what kind of rumours is everyone talking about us at school then?" Asuka said, trying to move the conversation along while secretly wanting to hear the school gossip and rumour mill about them.
"Well many of rumours are too far fetched and just downright crazy to even mention." Hikari said, having heard from other girls at school about the said rumours regarding the two Eva pilots.
"But a few of those rumours are kind of hitting the nail near on the head. Like the two of you eloping and that Asuka is pregnant which in their minds explains why you guys haven't come back." Toji said and grinned at the slightly shocked and amazed expression on their faces. Clearly they were surprised on how near accurate the rumours were.
"Oh mein Gott," Asuka grumble in despair while dropping her head on the table. "Now I'm happy that me and Shinji are not back at school."
The three friends slightly laughed at the redhead's embarrassment. "I wouldn't worry about the rumours too much. They've become overshadowed by the things Ayanami's been doing lately." Toji said.
"Wait, what things about Ayanami?" Shinji asked, a bit surprised to hear that about Rei.
It was Hikari, Toji and Kensuke to look at one another before answering. "Well Ayanami's been acting differently for the last few weeks now." Hikari told them.
"Yeah like how she's been announcing when she comes into class as well as greeting people and it's kind of freaking everyone out." Toji added clearly remembering the first day when Rei greeted everyone good morning as she walked into class causing the whole room to gasp in shock, heck even one student fainted.
"Also she's been drawing top notch stuff during and after class rather then just stare out of the window all day. Heck, a few people have had the courage to ask her to make pictures of them and even the arts club is trying to recruit her to join it." Kensuke finished.
This got the former two Eva pilots blinking in astonishment before both turning to Rei who was still keeping Aki entertained but knew the blue haired girl was listening to their conversation. "Rei, way didn't you say anything about this?" Asuka asked, clearly wondering why Rei hadn't mentioned all this before.
"I did not think it was that important." Was Rei's only answer. Asuka and Shinji figured that this was all they were gonna get out of the blue haired girl.
"Besides all that, seriously when are you guys planning to come back? I mean are you coming back to school at all right?" Hikari asked honestly, a bit afraid of the answer.
"We're sorry guys, it's just we're so preoccupied with stuff at this time that school is still the last thing on our minds." Asuka said apologetically before continuing. "With having Aki settled now in kindergarten and the main reason that we're going to have to move out of the Misato's apartment soon."
This slightly shocked the three friends giving there wide eyed expressions. """Wait you guys moving out!?""" All three of their friends said.
"Yeah me and Asuka are moving to the outskirts of the city. To the house we lived in the alternative Third Impact future," Shinji explained. "We've already talked to the original owners and have decided to go through with the offer."
"Yeah and we can't stay here for much longer anyway since Misato gonna need the space." Asuka added in.
"Wait, what do you mean Miss Misato will need the space?" Toji questioned.
At that Asuka and Shinji looked at each other, mentally communicating on whether to tell their friends of their guardian's status. Ultimately, they both came to an agreement as both of them nodded.
"Well, the reason being that Misato is pregnant." Shinji said.
""WHAT! MISS MISATO IS PREGNANT!?"" Toji and Kensuke both screamed out in shock, obviously both boys still had a lingering crush on the purple haired woman. Hikari was more reserved as she only brought her hands to cover her mouth in shock before finding her voice again.
"Tha…that's wonderful news! We'll have to congratulate her when I see her." Hikari said. "So who is the father? Is it Mr Kaji?" Hikari asked to which she got her answer with Asuka and Shinji nodding yes.
""Lucky bastard."" Toji and Kensuke whispered under their breath though not quietly enough since Hikari ended up giving Toji a hard pinch at his side out of annoyance and jealousy, making him yelp in pain.
Before anyone could say anything else, they heard Aki gasp and cry out.
"MY SHOW, MY SHOW IS ON!" Aki cried out before everyone turned to see the little girl snatching the TV remote from an irritated PenPen and switching to a different channel, which from what everyone could see was a children's show with some cute bear mascot in front of a group of children on stage.
"Ok kids just follow the me and the beat of the music." The costumes mascot said on the TV as the music started to pick up. At the same time everyone saw Aki copying the moves of the said mascot on TV.
"This is it. Here we go! 1, 2, 3, Dance dance dance dance like you want to win! Dance dance dance dance like you want to win!" The TV mascot sang out as she was dancing, making the children on stage copying her.
"Dance dance dance dance, like I want to win! Dance dance dance dance like I want to win!" Aki repeated and copied the movements while keeping a look of focused determination as she watched the screen.
This display got a laugh out of everyone present in the apartment, even Rei showed a genuine smile at the little girl's cute dance display.
"Oh my god that's so adorable," Hikari said while her laughter died down a little. "What is she watching anyway?"
"Oh it's just some kids show. I can't remember the name but it's been around for years. Even my little sis used to watch this." Toji said.
"Hey, wait a minute. Doesn't this music and beat feel familiar, Shinji?" Asuka asked as the music and its beat brought up a familiar feeling.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, it sort of reminds me of the music we were forced to listen to during our sync training for the seventh Angel." Shinji said now clearly remembering the music back then.
And just like that it dawned on the two former pilots that Kaji and Misato's plan to beat the Angel partially came from a damn kids TV show!
X-X-X-X-X
At the same time at NERV headquarters both Misato and Kaji felt a chill up their spine and getting the feeling that trouble was going to happen upon returning to the apartment.
End.
Notes:
If your all wondering what kind of dance Aki is doing in this chapter, just look up "Mashiro-Tan Dancing" on Youtube and you'll get the picture.