"The people sit next to the devil and don't even know it." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust)
"You're going Asuka! We all are." Misato said as Asuka peered at her with narrowing eyes. "I can't have you continue to be a terror, we're both sick of it. He's…just too polite to say it."
"Don't put words in his mouth! If he thinks that then, he can say it. Not you, not anyone else!" Asuka shot back. Misato was glad she had come home early. Was she really?
"And if he did speak up, what would you do to him?" Misato asked. Asuka started to go red with both embarrassment and fury. "Fuck off!" She yelled as she turned and stormed towards her room.
"Hey! You don't get to talk to me like that young lady, now get back here—" Asuka's door slid shut, and Misato let out a long sigh. In the last two years, Asuka had only gotten worse. Just as the world was starting to look relatively normal again, her world was as rocky as ever. She chuckled slightly at the irony of being entrusted to run NERV and help rebuild society while not controlling her own household. She had considered kicking Asuka out many times, but never for more than a fleeting moment. About the same amount of time, a perfectly sane person contemplates jumping off a cliff when looking over the edge. Numerous sensations cut short those decisive thoughts: Shinji would not forgive her, she had failed Asuka in the past, and the most important reason, she genuinely thought of the girl as a daughter. Misato figured that Asuka had thought about moving away many times as well, but perhaps for reasons like her own, she never even threatened the action. Of course, the girl—her girl, would never admit any sentiment.
It sucks being a parent, Misato thought. She had fully accepted the role a long time ago knowing full well the effort it would take, but she still allowed herself to complain occasionally just to herself. She loved her kids, and it was time they all were put on the road to recovery from their past trauma and disappointments. Professional help was going to happen whether any of them wanted it or not.
Right now, the other one of her kids needed her, even if he would say otherwise.
"Can I come in for a second?" Misato asked loud enough to be heard over Shinji's SDAT.
"Sure," he said with the usual post altercation detachment. She entered his room as he sat up to greet her. After taking a seat on the bed next to him and rubbing his shoulder she tried to bring some levity to the situation.
"What was your terrible offence this time?" Shinji did not smile.
"I…um accidently bought brown rice instead of white rice. I tried to apologize, and I even said I'd run to the store again, but…she didn't like that answer."
"Did she hurt you?" Misato asked and Shinji lied by saying no. He was glad she had walked in at the tail end of the fight. Shinji believed that Misato loved and cared for Asuka, but Asuka was so difficult at times he questioned how much more patience Misato would have for her. For his own part, he thought that Asuka's miserable life and his own numerous mistakes in regard to her should grant her an indefinite pardon. He also knew from Asuka's confrontation with Misato a minute ago that Misato had decided that enough was enough and action was going to be taken.
"Shinji I'm sure you heard some of what I said, but I'll tell you to your face. We're all going to the United States to see one of the world's best psychiatrists. He'll help us and we'll stay as long as we need to. We're a family and we're going to heal together as a family." Shinji smiled slightly; family was still a new concept.
"But what about—"
"Never mind the job, there are other people who can hold down the fort while I'm gone. You both are too important to me." As she finished speaking, she held him in the tight embrace which had become common. They both had tears in their eyes now.
"This'll be pretty hard." Misato said absently and Shinji just hugged her tighter in response.
As they got in their rental car the rush of coming into a new country wore off and fatigue from the two long flights set in. "I hope you know how to drive here," Asuka said from the passenger's seat.
"Give me some credit, I did some research before we flew over."
"Sure you did. Now how's this gonna work? Shinji doesn't know much English, and I don't wanna have to translate and hear all his perverted secrets."
"Try to be nice Asuka, this guy knows Japanese so there won't be any issues with language." Misato shot a quick look back at Shinji who was looking out the window at the strange and different world which now surrounded him. She was surprised Asuka was not complaining any more considering the all-out barrage she let loose in the days and weeks leading up to the trip. At least she was rational enough to know when the fight was over.
The hotel they were staying at was much fancier than Misato's apartment. The fresh smell of bygone cleaning supplies gave the air a feeling of being alive. "This is more like it," Asuka said, "real doors, flat screen TVs, a bathroom you can take more than two steps in, this country treats people right."
Asuka's joyful inspection of the room produced an uneasy feeling in Shinji as he remembered just how far from home, he found himself. Not that anywhere had felt like home until he started living with Misato. Maybe the angel war was worth it. He thought despite himself. The people who surrounded him were his only semblance of comfort in the days after the third impact. Nothing embodied the conflict within himself more than Asuka. She was equal parts a pleasureful familiar presence and his just punishment for his many mistakes.
"Can we afford this?" Shinji asked.
"NERV certainly can—and as far as I'm concerned, they owe us." Misato responded with a smile.
"I could get use to this." Asuka added while spreading her arms and legs on one of the king size beds.
"Well, don't get too used to it," Misato said, and Asuka did her best to make it look like she did not hear her.
Shinji settled into his own bedroom and started to flip through the channels before he realized that he could only understand the occasional word.
