Nothing Will Ever Change That
A/N- This chapter was proof-read by Frost-Eva-04. Thanks for the help!
A/A/N- Hm… should Dietlinde come back? I'm feeling kinda evil today… how about she dies twice, eh? We'll see…
Chapter 106: Dietlinde
Akagi's Office
"Shinji… you saw how much pain that put you AND Asuka through when I did that… are you sure you want to go through all of that again?" Jesus! If there was a way to get my daughter back, then yes!
"I don't care what I have to go through! I'll give my life to see her again!" seriously, that wasn't an exaggeration. I would literally die just to hold her in my arms.
"You do know what has happened to my reputation after cloning you, don't you? I've been ridiculed for it, people are saying that I'm playing God…" I couldn't care less about her damn reputation!
"Ritsuko… please do this for us… I'll do anything for it," Asuka stared at Akagi with almost begging eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she once again speaks, "Anything… we'll pay any amount you want, just please do this…" Ritsuko sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm not going to charge you Asuka… fine, I'll do it, but legally, she never died. If anyone asks, she was just kidnapped or something, understand?" Asuka leaped over the desk and hugged Akagi tight.
"Thank you so much!" Ritsuko simply smiled and pulled away from the hug.
"Just like with Shinji, there's most likely going to have to be more than one try with it. Cloning is complicated, so give me a few days, okay?" Asuka had tears in her eyes she was so happy.
"Yeah… if there's anything we can ever do for you, just ask… thank you…" Akagi picks up a piece of paper and hands it to me.
"Actually, there is, if you wouldn't mind signing this," across the top of the paper read 'New Address: 730 West Street', "It gets so cramped in my little apartment, I could use a new, bigger house… pretty please?" I couldn't help but chuckle.
"NERV would be paying for this I take it?" she nods with a smile, "Got a pen?" hey, I'd pay for it out of my own wallet if I had to. She handed me one and I sign my name, "Hope you like your new house," she takes back the paper and smiles wide.
"Why thank you Commander Ikari!" she put the paper in her purse and began to walk out of the room, "I'll go start on Dietlinde right now, if I were you, I'd get her crib ready…" Asuka latched onto my arm and actually began to laugh when Ritsuko left the room.
"What's up with you?" she looked up at me smiling wide.
"I'm just so damn happy! We're getting Dietlinde back!" I hug her tight and smile just as wide as her.
"We sure are… I think we might have to get a bigger house now that we have two children… you think I could grab one of those forms from Ritsuko?" seriously, we're going to have TWO kids now, we're going to need something bigger than a one room… well… ROOM.
"Ask later… but yeah, we should…"
---
One Month Later – 9:00 PM
"Shinji?" we both sat on our bed staring at the now made crib.
"Yeah?"
"Akagi DID say a few days, right?" I nod, "Then one question…" I cover my ears, preparing myself, "Where the hell is our daughter!" and there it was, "I mean damn, she hasn't even spoken to us in a month!"
"She said that it was complicated, maybe she's just making sure she didn't mess up like she did with me…" Asuka has grown quite a bit this last month. Her stomach was starting to bulge out a little more, to the point where it was noticeable with clothes on. Before I wasn't able to tell until… well… yeah, that.
"Well I wish that she'd hurry the hell up…" me too, but I had faith in her, I knew it'd get done.
"Don't worry about it, she'll-" then I hear a knocking on the door, "Hold on," I get up and open the door, "Oh, hey Ri-…"
"Shinji?" Asuka got up and came to my side, then nearly fainted at the sight.
"Sorry it took so long, but this little cutie was one hell of a problem!" Ritsuko smiled wide as she held a smiling Dietlinde in her arms, "It turns out that mixing of cultures makes it harder to clone, but yeah, I was able to do it…" Dietlinde held her arms out to me smiling wide, "You want to go with daddy?" With trembling hands, I take Dietlinde from her. Asuka smiled with a tear in her eye at Dietlinde. She was in a pink cover-all suit, the only skin that showed was her head.
"Hey sweetie…" I hand over Dietlinde to Asuka, her of all people needed this more then I did, "Welcome back…" she lightly kissed Dietlinde's forehead and wiped away a tear. I guide Akagi into the hallway and speak as softly as I could.
"Ritsuko, I still remember when I died, does she remember what happened to her?" Akagi shakes her head with a smile.
"That's the best part of it all Shinji, cloning her gave a few new discoveries. I found out how to alter what they really believe to be true. In her mind, she was away from you two for about three hours, but just to be safe, don't talk about Gahiji or her death. What are you doing out here? Go back inside and see your daughter!" before I walked off, I hugged her tight.
"Thank you so much Ritsuko… you have no idea what this means to us…" she softly hugged me back.
"Go…" without a word, I walk back into the room to see Asuka on her bed cradling Dietlinde.
"She's already asleep… she must have been wiped out…" she still had a small tear in her eye, "Shinji… we have our daughter back…" I sit next to Asuka and wrap my arm around her, looking down at Dietlinde the whole time.
"You're the only one left that isn't a clone in this family…" she chuckled, "Seriously, you're now the only one that has actually been born! Well, a new baby will be coming pretty soon, but for the mean time…"
"Do you always have to look so deeply into things? Who cares if she's a clone or not, I'm just glad we have her back…" Asuka gently caressed Dietlinde's red hair, "God I love this child…" she lays back in her bed, setting Dietlinde's head on her chest, "I'm following her on this one, I'm tired…" with a smile, I lay next to her and turn off the light, "SEELE's gone, all of the sins and angels are gone, and Dietlinde's back… for once, things are looking up for us Shinji…" she leans over and pecks me on the cheek.
"Tell me about it… I don't think I've been this happy in my life…" I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her a little closer, "Just you and Dietlinde… and soon Asuka… could I possibly be any luckier?"
"No you couldn't…" she had joking voice on, but I was far from joking. I hoped that we could live like this from now on, I just wanted to be a normal, happy family. For once, if not for at least a day, just let me have peace of mind.
---
Asuka's Room – Morning – 10:00 AM
For the life of me I couldn't force myself out of bed. Dietlinde was neatly set in between me and Asuka – apparently she crawled around a bit when we were asleep! As always, she had that cute smile on her face. As I said before, she was always such a happy child, still, I've only heard her cry twice. My entire family was in my arms right now, and I loved it. I gently picked up Dietlinde as I got out of bed, trying not to wake Asuka.
"You want to help daddy make some breakfast?" though eyes still half closed, she still smiled up at me. Holding her in one arm, I start to get all of my normal breakfast items; a pan, eggs and bacon. That's all we ever have these days! After I got all of our food out, I realize something… we never bought any food for Dietlinde! Crap! "Looks like I'm going to have to run out… you wanna come?" by now she was fully awake, and apparently fully aware of what was going on. I could have sworn I saw her nod! After writing Asuka a note telling her where I was going, I set up Dietlinde in her stroller and walk quietly out of the room.
I was pushing my daughter down the hallway – the very same daughter that was dead not even a day ago. Damn I love science! When I finally got out to my car I find that this stroller could fold up into a car seat… thought I was going to have to leave her here! As I drove, I noticed Dietlinde staring at something on the steering wheel. Her eyes didn't avert from it, in fact, her stare was fairly intense. After a few minutes, I realize what she was looking at.
"Daddy got a new hand… well, body for that matter!" I hold my hand in front of the 'car seat' and she grabs onto my thumb. Her hands were so small; her entire hand was barely the size of my thumb. To think that eventually, she'll grow to be the size of Asuka… and we created that. That was probably the best part of being a parent; knowing that YOU created life.
"The light's green asshole!" I take back my hand and go back to concentrating on the road. I really need to break that habit of getting lost in thought!
"Looks like someone isn't having a good morning, huh?" Dietlinde lets out a small giggle. Well, knowing how much she took after Asuka, I know that Dietlinde will have a temper! Hell, I can already see a lot of her personality this early on in her life. When we finally get to the store I take Dietlinde out of the car and once again set up the stroller. "Let's see if we can't find you some food…" I got more than a few glances while walking into the store. I was a seventeen year old with a daughter, I'd stare too! After ignoring them and concentrating on my child, I walk to the baby isle… truthfully, it smelled like crap! The mix of baby food, baby powder, and diapers damn near brought a tear to my eye.
"Oh! Is this your baby?" an older woman walked in front of the stroller and leaned down.
"Um… yeah…" she leans back up and smiles at me.
"I'm sorry, but she doesn't look anything like you!" I let out a small chuckle.
"Yeah, she takes after her mother, my genes were basically thrown out the window!" the woman laughs a little.
"I know how that is, mine looks absolutely nothing like me. None the less, she looks like a very joyful child. What's her name?" yet another thing she got from Asuka!
"Dietlinde," the woman drops her jaw, "What?"
"Are you talking about Dietlinde Ikari? The commander's daughter?" now how the hell… please don't tell me all of that got on the news! "Are you Commander Ikari?" I nervously rub the back of my head.
"Well… yeah… how do you know about her?" the woman was still surprised.
"I'm sorry… but wasn't she…" she took a long pause, trying to gather her words.
"Dead? Yeah, USED to be, she was cloned," I think I just confused her further… "Okay! Anyway, you obviously have more experience in this then I do, what food should I get? She's just barely coming off of breast feeding," come to think of it, she's only been fed solid food twice now.
"Wow… okay, I'd try a few different things and see what she likes. One suggestion though, stay away from the peas! Nothing fills a diaper faster then peas!" ew…
"Okay, I'll stay away! So what, just one of each?" she grabs a few cans off of the shelves and hands them to me.
"Just try those for now. Basic vegetables, she needs them. Need anything else?" Asuka's already bought food for Dietlinde, maybe I should have just waited.
"No, that's good. Thanks for the help," with a wave, I walk to the register and put down the armful of glass cans.
"Well isn't she cute! Will this be all?" was I always going to be stopped like this? Sure, I liked hearing how cute my daughter was, but damn.
"Yeah, thanks," I wasn't really in the mood to talk, I was still half asleep myself! I get out of the store as quickly as I could and drive off with Dietlinde next to me.
---
Asuka/Shinji's Room
A/N- Asuka first person time!
Either from the absents of warmth next to me or the fact that I just got done sleeping over twelve hours, I wake up. Where the hell was Shinji? Where was Dietlinde! Just as I start to look around, slightly frantic, I see a note taped to my stomach. 'Asuka, gone to store with Dietlinde, she needed food. Be back soon. Shinji.' He could have at least woken me up! Well, as long as he's taking care of Dietlinde, I'm fine. They could use some quality time together. I've been trying to forget that Dietlinde was ever gone, that she was always with us, but I've found it harder then I thought it would be. Images of her dead kept coming back to me, but they don't effect me the same way. Now I just see them as a horrible dream, I mean, Dietlinde's with us now, so they really have no meaning.
"Wonder if Shinji's noticed his ring yet…" I talk to myself in the empty room. I bought him another wedding ring and put it on him last night. It was exactly like the one before, but just like he did with mine, I engraved 'Nothing Will Ever Change That' on the inside. Knowing Shinji, he won't notice until I point it out! I swear, that man would leave his head behind if it wasn't attached to his body.
"Hey Asuka, can I come in?" just on cue, Sam knocks at the door. Why did she always come before noon? Couldn't she wait until afternoon like normal people?
"Yeah, sure," the door opens to show her in a long shirt with night pants on, "I take it you just woke up?" she rubbed her temples as she made her way to the sofa, "Go ahead and make yourself at home…" sarcasm… gotta love it!
"Sorry… I needed to ask you something. Why does it feel like someone just yelled at me with a megaphone? My head is killing me…" ahh, I knjow exactly how she feels!
"Yeah, get used to that feeling in the morning. Just wait until morning sickness! Now that's even more fun!" somehow I always managed to wake up before Shinji would when I went through that.
"Uhhh… please tell me you're kidding…" I grab her a glass of water and sit next to her.
"Here, drink this, it always helped me," almost like she was using a damn beer bong, it was gone, "And no, I'm not kidding. I'm actually surprised you're not moody yet, that's what really got me!"
"Stop talking so damn loud!" I spoke too soon…
"Sorry about that… trust me, it gets easier on your second child. Sure, I'm feeling the effects, but their milder than before," she leans her head back, continuing to rub her temples.
"I'm never having sex again… I swear…" yeah, that's what I said!
"Well Cass won't be too happy, now will he?" her head pops up and suddenly she looks excited.
"Oh! I came in here to tell you this! Can't believe I forgot! Me and Cass were talking… we were wondering if you and Shinji be our baby's godparents. You don't have to, we just thought that you'd like to," that really wasn't that much of a surprise.
"Really?" but I might as well act like it… "Yeah, I'd love to, and I'm sure Shinji will too.
"Thanks…" I know that she was expecting me to offer the same thing, and I DID consider it for a moment, but I just don't trust Cass enough. They would have three children AND bills to pay, it just can't be done at their age. Me and Shinji are different, because of his position at NERV, we – and all of our family – are supported by the NERV budget. Come to think of it, I wanted to talk to Shinji about that. In my mind, I thought that Ritsuko would be a pretty good guardian. I mean she's smart, she's good with kids, she's strict, and I really believe that if anything were to happen to me and Shinji, she would raise Dietlinde and the new baby like her own.
"If you want to stick around and eat, Shinji will be coming back pretty soon," she once again laid her head back.
"Why? Getting you another car I'm guessing?" she mustered a faint laugh.
"No, baby food. We didn't have any so, you know," she once again chuckles.
"Already buying food for the baby? Isn't this a little early?" oh! She didn't know about Dietlinde! Huh… I think I might want to surprise her…
"Nah, the stuff damn near never expires, so I guess he just went out early… really early!" I wonder what she'll do…
"That's so like Shinji… he's one of a kind Asuka, you should keep him around," like I didn't know that! I've almost died twice now just from not having him around! In reality – and as corny as this sounded – I really couldn't live without him.
"Yeah, I'm thinking about it…" just then Shinji came through the door holding a bag of jars and pushing Dietlinde in her crib, "Speak of the devil…"
"Hey Asuka, Sam. Good morning," more like good afternoon! "How are my two mothers to be doing?" Sam groaned, "That bad? Yeah, Asuka was bad too back then. How are you feeling Asuka?"
"Just dandy!" I think Sam got some hint of Dietlinde, because her head popped up. It could have been a number of things; the stroller, the slowness of his walking… hell, knowing Sam, she probably smelled Dietlinde!
"Shinji… what's up with the stroller?" he looks at me confused and I give him the sign to tell her.
"Oh, well I kind of need something to carry Dietlinde in… I only have two hands!" it was apparent to both me and Shinji that she was confused, "Oh, and by the way, Dietlinde's back," right on cue, Dietlinde let out a giggle.
"Holy crap! How'd that happen?" there ya go!
"Well, you know how Akagi cloned Shinji? Same thing," I swear, Sam nearly fainted right there!
"Why didn't you tell us?" actually… we kinda forgot!
"We wanted it to be a surprise," Shinji's a liar…
"Well mission accomplished! Damn! Hold on," She leaps up and walks out of the room.
"Wait for it…" we hear mumbling through the wall, "Wait for it…" the voices get louder, "Wait for it…"
"WHAT!" there… Cass comes storming into out room and looks down at Dietlinde panting, "Ho… ly… crap… she's really back…" he looked up at Shinji and smirked, "Do you Ikaris ever REALLY die? I mean come on! She was gone what, two months? You were gone a few DAYS, and both of you have evaded death on damn near a daily basis…" he chuckles, "I swear, you two will never die… I can see it now, Ikari Family, all more than two hundred years old!" if things kept going the way they were, that was a possibility!
"Well, I'd be fine with that!" we all have a good laugh, even Dietlinde! "okay, but seriously, I need to feed Dietlinde, she hasn't eaten in a few months!" I pick her up out of her crib with a smile, "You're hungry, huh?" Dietlinde once again giggled. I took one of the jars out of the bag Shinji was holding and set her up in the high chair.
"Thanks for the help Asuka, and I'm happy about Dietlinde being back!" Sam drug Cass out of the room as always.
"Shinji, come here for a sec," before I promise anything to Sam I needed to make sure it was okay with Shinji, "Sam asked us to be their child's godparents. You up to that? I mean, I'm fine with it if you are," I think I actually saw him smile!
"Sure, I'd love to… but what about Dietlinde and the new baby? Who will be their godparents? Sam and Cass?" like I said before, I just don't trust Cass.
"You know, I thought about that, and I really don't think so. I mean, they'd have three children and one income. Our children just won't grow up happy… I was thinking Akagi," I could see him cringe a little. I take it he was still mad at her about the whole restraint thing, but still, she would be good.
"Yeah… I guess you're right…" he watched over my shoulder as I begin to feed Dietlinde.
"You want to try?" I hold out the spoon to him right after I give Dietlinde her first bit.
"Um… you think she'll eat from me? You're the only person that she's eaten from…" I shove the spoon and jar in his hands.
"Do we have to have this conversation again? Look, you are her father, she likes you!" with a nervous smile, he stands in front of her high chair and I move aside, "Now just remember to go slow," carefully, he takes a spoonful of carrots and brings it in front of her face. By now she was used to being fed, so she really took bites on her own. The whole time she stared at Shinji with her normal curious eyes. Like Shinji said, I was always the one to feed her, this is foreign to her. I have to admit though, I do NOT miss breast feeding! Hurt like hell when she was doing it!
"This is easier than I thought…" he acted as if he was fighting an angel! After a few more minutes, the jar was empty.
"See? Now was that so bad? Now move aside, unless you want to clean up vomit, she needs to be burped!" he backed up ten steps instantly, "Drama queen…" I throw a towel over my shoulder and set Dietlinde up, "Pay attention, because you're doing this next time," with a few soft whacks on her back, she burps, "See?"
"I gotta hit her that hard?" I barely even touched her!
"Oh come on! She's not made out of glass, a few hits won't kill her, if anything it'll help her!" trust me, I've learned that one the hard way! the first time I fed Dietlinde, I ended up having to throw away my favorite shirt!
"Okay, if you say so… oh, I was wondering, did you want to go check out a few houses and see if we can find one we like?" I throw the towel into the laundry and carry Dietlinde back to her stroller.
"Sure, why not? We don't have anything better to do… I'm only looking for one thing though…" I walk by and gently trace my finger across his chest, "Thick walls…"
A/N- Asuka flirting, what's new? So yeah, say hello to Dietlinde again! Just so you all know, I've had this planned out since the beginning, so HA! So basically the whole next chapter will be house shopping, and it will be written in Asuka's first person. I'm going to start doing that every other chapter now just to mix things up a bit. I like it anyway! So yeah, read the next chapter; A New Home, until then, keep on keepin' on!