Homecoming

A Neon Genesis Evangelion story by Andrew J. Talon

Disclaimer: Gainax owns it, I don't. I'm not making any money off this story either.

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The letter had arrived in a plain envelope, with a simple return address attached. Accompanying it was another envelope, also pretty plain, but the return address was from a "Captain Katsuragi".

Shinji sat on his uncle's porch, looking between them, trying to determine which to open first.

"Hey, Shinji!"

The young Ikari looked up, a smile emerging on his face. "Doctor!"

The self-named entity gave his usual, slightly-demented grin back as he walked up the path, hands in the pockets of his blue pinstripe suit. Instead of a tie, he wore a red scarf, which waved lightly in the summer breeze.

"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked brightly, as the Doctor took a seat next to Shinji.

"Oh, you know, the usual... Just popped in for a bit of a visit, perhaps a pint..."

"Shinji? Who is that?" Called his uncle from inside the house. Shinji looked over his shoulder and yelled back:

"It's Doctor Syffer, Uncle!"

His uncle emerged from the house a minute later, shooting the Doctor a worried look. "Uh... Er... Hello, Doctor."

"Hello!" Doctor replied cheerfully. "Don't suppose you have any lager lying about? Or sake, sake's always good."

Shinji's Uncle gave the man a displeased expression. "You ask that every time you visit, and every time, the answer's the same-"

"'No alcohol whatsoever in the house, and you, Doctor, should know better than to drink,'" Shinji and the Doctor dutifully recited. Shinji's Uncle scowled, and looked over at Shinji.

"Your father's letter isn't going to open itself, you know." With that, he turned and went back into the house. The Doctor looked interestedly at the envelopes, which Shinji regarded with a bit of trepidation.

"Ah, your father! So, Gendo McDeadbeat finally makes contact," the Doctor said. "What's he say?"

Shinji frowned. "I'm... Well, I'm not sure if I want to open it..."

"Understandable," the Doctor said. He shrugged. "On the other hand, who knows. Might be inviting you up to get engaged to some lovely bird or three..."

Shinji glanced over at the Doctor, who just shrugged.

"Hey, you could handle a few," Doctor said confidently. "You've got that whole sad, noble knight in shining armor who could turn into a raging, primal beast at any moment thing going for you!"

"I really, really don't see it," Shinji replied dubiously. Doctor laughed.

"Ah, well, who knows... C'mon Shinji, have a look see. Can't hurt anything, right?"

Shinji frowned and narrowed his eyes at the man. Over the course of their friendship, it had become obvious early on to the boy that the man knew much more than he usually let on.

"You're making me suspicious..."

"Moi? However could I be doing that?" Doctor asked, looking innocent. Shinji rolled his eyes.

"If you want, I could open your Dad's envelope for you, and you can take the hot bird's envelope-"

"Hot bird?" Shinji asked, scowling. "How do you know she's a hot bird? Er, um... I mean..." He trailed off, blushing a bit. Doctor laughed, and patted his shoulder.

"Oh come on, Shinji... It is me we're talking about."

"You were going through my mail again weren't you?" Shinji said in a deadpan tone. Doctor coughed.

"Well... I was a tad bored..."

Shinji sighed, and, after a bit of reflection, he opened the Katsuragi letter. A photograph tumbled out, and his eyes widened.

"W-Woah..."

The Doctor craned his neck and got a good look at the photo as well. "By the power of Greyskull," he whispered.

Shinji looked the photo over a few times. "... What do you think?"

"Real. Most definitely real," Doctor enthused.

"But how-?"

"Doctor."

"... Fine," Shinji said. He opened up his father's envelope (after a few more minutes of looking the picture over), and out tumbled a letter and a train ticket. Shinji picked up the letter, and blinked. He then looked back at Misato's picture.

"'Come?' That's it?"

Shinji sighed and looked over the ticket. Doctor leaned back and waited, letting Shinji work out whatever it was he was going to say next. He had a fairly good idea of what it would be.

"... I don't know if I should even go."

Doctor shrugged. "Hey... It is up to you."

"First time he contacts me in years, first time I've heard from him in..." Shinji shook his head. "And this is all I get." Shinji looked at Doctor. "Do you know why?"

"I have a few ideas," Doctor said quietly, serious face on.

"So it's nothing good."

"I didn't say that."

"Doctor..."

"Look Shinji... There are things I can say, and things I can't say. You know that, you've always known that."

"You've never told me why."

"... It's complicated, and I truly mean that," Doctor said. "And, quite frankly... If I just tell you... Things get more complicated." He shrugged.

"What if I want things to get more complicated?" Shinji asked heatedly. Doctor sighed.

"Well then... Some things have to be set in motion first."

"... Like... Me going?" Shinji asked. Doctor sighed again.

"... It's up to you, Shinji," he said at last. "I can promise that, if you go, I'll be going with you. And even if I can't tell you everything, I'll never let you down." He smiled. "Have I ever let you down, Shinji?"

"... No..."

Even so, there was the implication there. The fear underneath the fragile trust in Shinji's psyche he'd worked hard to build. In the right circumstances, it was just a house made of cards, ready to fall apart at the slightest wobble.

Shinji looked back at the letter. He held the ticket. His eyes drifted back to the letter.

"... I... I need to get packed."

Doctor nodded slowly.

"I'll help."

And so the dice are tossed, the so-called Prince of Darkness mused. Again...

"... Well, I must say, your father's letter could have been worse," Doctor mused aloud.

"How?"

"Well... Who would you rather have cheesecake photos of?"

"Ewwwww!"

"Hey, just saying..."

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