AN: I'm back! Sorry for the wait, I've been busy. Very busy. I have so much good news though. I got a new laptop! This should help chapters come faster I'd hope. I'll be honest, part of what took so long with the previous ones had to do with the frustrations of typing on my phone. That is extremely annoying.

I've also started up that thing that starts with a P and ends with an atreon. Not for any of my fan fictions of course, but for my original work. That's also part of why this chapter took so long to come out. I wanted to make sure this, the new chapter for my Naruto fic, as well as the prologue and first chapter of my original work all went up at once.

And last but not most certainly not least of my good news, I'm engaged! I was focused solely on that for quite some time and wasn't typing, but I'm back now and ready to roll.

Well, here's chapter 13. Chapter title actually changed, by the way. Well, without further ado…

Let's get on with the show!

XXX

Freedom

Kaji Misato was a strong woman. Everyone that had ever met her said so. There were few that knew of her past; her father's death and her years of silence weren't things she talked about to very many people. Despite that, those few who were privy thought her even stronger than before they were aware. Very few things got under the woman's skin. She wasn't as insecure as the Misato Shinji had once known, but that didn't mean she was unflappable. Her scars were hidden better.

As her husband watched her stare up at the ceiling of their bedroom, despondent and unresponsive, Kaji Ryoji knew that his wife had taken the largest blow to her mental state since the death of her father. As much as he wished she was in a better place after the news she'd received three days ago, Ryoji knew he couldn't blame her reaction. No one had ever died on Misato's watch before, and certainly never a child. She'd felt responsible for Shinji from the moment she'd picked him up.

The sheets rustled as Misato sat up in bed; Ryoji pulled her into his arms without a word. She didn't speak and he accepted that. He shifted a bit in order to get comfortable and his wife's bottom rubbed up against him. Try as he might, he couldn't stop his body's trained reaction. Giving up, he rested his head against the wall. A minute passed, then three. Only after five had elapsed did Misato speak.

"Really, Kaji? You can't keep it in your pants even now?" The beautiful voice he was so used to hearing was hoarse and Misato's tone was dull, but Ryoji didn't care about that or the fact that she was apparently annoyed enough to call him Kaji. He was happy enough that something had finally gotten his wife to talk. Briefly, he realized she was always quite vocal whenever his little friend was involved.

"It's second nature at this point, Misato. I don't mean anything by it." She said nothing in response to him and after another five minutes, Ryoji spoke again. "It really wasn't your fault, you know. Shinji was right." He felt her tense in his arms upon hearing the boy's name, but he didn't regret saying it. She needed to get used to hearing the word. He doubted the boy would ever be excluded from any conversations with their associates ever again.

"I sent him to his death, Ryoji…"

"No. All you did was try and guide him through the battle. His father called him here. And his father coerced him into piloting. If anyone killed Shinji it was that man," Kaji replied, scowling out of her view. Misato turned her head to look at him.

"You said not to trust him awhile back too… you really don't like the commander."

"I've seen the things he's done and what he's willing to do. He can't be trusted… and clearly what he's done to his son speaks for itself. You were just a casualty of his games, Misato. What happened to Shinji… It would have occurred whether you were involved or not." Misato was quiet after his response. She turned away from him, sighing through her nose. She couldn't know if Kaji was right, but she knew who would.

=X=

Despite Leliel's initial predictions, their kin did not strike the next day. Nor the day after that. Shinji played his cello contently as he sat on the bed in solitary, letting his mind wander as the music filled him. Leliel sat at his side, humming along with the song. They had spent the last week in solitary chatting and getting to know one another better amongst a few other more important things. There had been times like this before they ended up here of course, but they'd definitely spent most of their time up till now focusing on the downfall of their kin.

Imagine Shinji's surprise when he discovered Leliel enjoyed music just as much as he did yesterday evening. It was a very pleasant find, especially when he convinced her to get his cello from Misato's, which hadn't taken much convincing at all. They'd spent the past few hours since he awoke going through different songs he knew. Shinji smiled and hoped he'd be able to do this with Asuka or Rei one day.

The door opened then, Gendo and Misato standing in the entrance. Shinji noted the deep frown on his father's face and merely frowned back. Misato looked conflicted and if Shinji could be honest, unwell. She had dark bags beneath her eyes and her hair was frazzled, nothing like its typical silky sheen. The Third Child found it disturbing. He simply didn't think Misato should ever look like that. It didn't fit her at all. He was just about to ponder what Kaji could be doing to let this happen when his father finally spoke.

"Seraphiel." Shinji rolled his eyes. He honestly wasn't surprised the man wouldn't call him by his human name. He doubted it was to make him seem less human in Gendo's eyes. That would imply that he had enough empathy and decency as a human being to regret anything he did to Shinji from this point forward. His father wasn't decent though, so Shinji knew that couldn't be the reason.

"Yes, father?" Shinji replied, eyebrow raised as he stressed the word father. Gendo was silent for a beat before speaking, informing Shinji that he was to report to the hangar. Shinji blinked, mildly surprised that they were letting him out of solitary, let alone anywhere near the Eva's. Still, he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Nodding, Shinji stood to his feet, taking a moment to stretch loudly. His father's jaw tightened, and Shinji hid his mirth with a yawn before looking back to Leliel who was eyeing him knowingly. Shinji almost smiled at her but managed to restrain himself and instead asked if she would be coming along.

"Yes. I shall accompany yee, Seraphiel." Gendo looked like he wanted to protest at Leliel's response, but she was gone before he could say anything. Shinji felt a tingling of joy bubble up in his chest at seeing his father look so frustrated. After everything the man had done, seeing him fail to get his way was simply cathartic. With a small smile on his face, Shinji walked by his father and followed Misato down the hall. Shinji could hear his father following behind him along with some extra footsteps. He had little doubt that it was section two, vainly trying to be a threatening force and keep him under thumb. He almost snorted. They wouldn't stand a chance.

"You look unwell, Misato," Shinji said after they took a left turn down the oddly barren halls. Shinji knew Nerv was large, but he hadn't seen it this empty before. There was always someone walking or something that needed moving. He wondered if this was just a normal thing in this part of the facility considering the solitary cells were in this area or if there was something going on. Misato glances back at him while he looked about, his eyes never truly veering to look at her. It was almost like he didn't expect her to actually respond to him and Misato would be correct in such an assessment.

"I am fine," was her reply. It came slowly and devoid of any emotion.

"You don't look it. Or sound like it," Shino replied, eyebrow raised. Misato opened her mouth to end the conversation, but the young pilot cut her of, continuing, "it isn't your fault you know. He just wasn't strong enough. It doesn't make you responsible." Misato stopped walking and turned sharply to glare at Shinji. He just stared back.

"What would you know? You don't know what it feels like to send someone out to die!"

"That's true," Shinji conceded, "but I know you. You would never willingly let us pilots be hurt. Well, within reason considering our occupation. Back in my dimension… you were like a mother to me. As much as I was capable of back then, I trusted you. And you didn't let me down. You worried over everything that happened in the Eva, tried to argue with my father if he was ordering something you thought too dangerous, and then you did something I could never repay. Right after I realized I was an Angel a lot of bad began to happen around us… and I'd given up. I was going to let myself die. I can't elaborate right now, but you wouldn't let me.

"You talked me into fighting again. Made me realize nothing could be gained from giving up. That I still had a chance to save everyone. That little pep talk was your last words to me. After that you died to make sure I could live and put an end to all the suffering for good… I may not know how you feel, but I know the death of this dimension's Shinji is not your fault. Because if you had any sort of way to save him you would have done it. I know the lengths you would go to."

Misato was struck silent, her brain trying to process everything the boy had just said. She knew Shinji must have known her in the other dimension or at least assumed he did, but she could have never guessed how close of a relationship the other her could have had with the boy. And dying, just so he could live? She felt a small drop of shame in the pit of her stomach. This other me is far more selfless than I think I've ever been.

Misato looked away from Shinji and started walking again. But maybe I can live up to that standard…

Behind them, Gendo had a contemplative frown stretched across his face.

=X=

Shinji walked into the hangar and his eyes immediately landed on Unit 01. It was still being restrained with bakelite, but he saw Rei climbing out of the plug. Leliel appeared next to him and he could hear the section two agents behind him cock their weapons. The sound brought the attention of the other pilots to him. Obviously, Shinji hadn't seen them at all this passed week. He was almost disappointed to see how little had changed. They looked just as cautious as they had before.

He understood though. They didn't have enough reason to trust him yet.

"And so, you will tell me what you've done to Unit 01." Shinji blinked as he heard his father finish speaking. He was talking to me? He thought. He turned to Gendo and uttered three words that made the man tighten his fists.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Thine father says the purple cousin hast refused to activate at all this week despite sync tests with every pilot on hand. He thinks yee are the cause and wishes to know what thou hast done," Leliel clarified.

"Oh." Shinji was somewhat surprised. The unit 01 from his dimension hasn't ever done this. Well, not exactly. Though he supposed his relationship with his mother from his dimension had been far less developed than here. Now that he was more aware of the full situation he had been in, he couldn't help but wish he'd been able to talk to his mother then. But there was no point to thinking in what-ifs.

"Well?" grunted Gendo. It sounded closer to a growl. Shinji looked to his father blankly.

"I didn't do anything," he replied, "she probably just doesn't want to have anything to do with your plan."

"Do not lie to me, Angel. Unit 01 has no reason to refuse activation, not unless you've done something."

"If you really believe that, then it's no surprise she isn't moving. You're selfish and you've deluded yourself."

"You will correct what you have done to Unit 01."

"You seriously aren't capable of thinking she would disapprove of what you're doing, are you?" asked Shinji. Gendo said nothing in response, but he didn't need to. What he thought was clear.

"Seraphiel," Leliel spoke, prompting Shinji to gladly look away from his father, "maybe this is an opportunity. We already have a way to battle our kin without Nerv. We do not need Unit 01 any longer. Freedom is an option and potentially… it would remove the thorn of Ikari Gendo from our side." Everyone in the room tensed at Leliel's words, thinking she was finally showing her true colors. The only one who truly understood what she meant was Shinji.

Free mother? He thought as he looked to the still form of Unit 01. He couldn't help but find her logic sound. They already had the Black Beast ready and waiting. His father only wanted his mother back… if he just rescued her from within Unit 01 then Gendo would be a nonissue. This can work.

"You're right," said Shinji, "this is perfect." He turned to Unit 01 fully, happily noting that Rei was no where near the plug anymore. He heard the smallest finger twitch from the section two agents and erected his A.T. field. Bullets rained upon his field as he and Leliel continued onward towards Unit 01.

How does this work without Unit 01 having a core? Shinji wondered.

I imagine that she will reform within the plug. Leliel replied. Just then, the entry plug was pulled into Unit 01. Shinji could hear Ritsuko and Kyoko shouting about the Eva, but he honestly wasn't concerned.

I'm ready, Yui informed. Shinji smiled and looked to Leliel, who hadn't moved at all.

I've got their attention. They probably won't have time to try shooting at you, Shinji said. With a smile of her own, Leliel flew towards Unit 01. The section two agents shouted but weren't fast enough on the trigger to even try gunning her down. Leliel's body slammed into Unit 01 and everything in the hangar went silent for a moment. Then Unit 01 began to twitch, causing cracks to surface on the Bakelite. Its movement ended as quickly as it had begun, however.

Gendo slammed a fist upon Shinji's field and the Third Child turned to his father. Shinji had never seen the man so furious. His lips were pulled back into a snarl and Shinji noted some veins in the man's throat. Gendo punched the barrier again, his shades falling from his face due to the strength of the impact. His eyes were narrowed and burning with loathing as he shouted, "what have you done!?"

"The right thing," Shinji replies as he neared Unit 01. His father shouted at him with every step the boy took, demanding Shinji to stop, but it did nothing to deter him from his approach. Gendo was just about to hit the barrier again when the entry plug ejected. Shinji picked up his pace and Leliel was already floating next to the plug as a feminine hand gripped the edge of it. Gendo froze. Kyoko's hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide. The pilots were confused about what was going on, but Rei seemed to have an idea of what was occurring and tentatively made her way over to Shinji. With a weak groan, Yui pulled her upper body out of the entry plug and Leliel was quickly at her side. Shinji looked to Kyoko and—as politely as possible—demanded she relinquish her lab coat to him. She did.

Before Leliel could even get Yui fully lowered to the ground, Shinji flew up to meet them and wrapped his mother in the coat, covering her naked form. In that moment, he was happy he'd spent some of his time in Solitary learning more of his angelic abilities form Leliel.

"How are you feeling, mom?" Shinji asked, gently holding her hand to keep her steadied. He had little doubt that her body was weak. She had been nothing but LCL and consciousness for so long, having a human body again must feel weird. He knew it was for him and he'd only been in such a state for around a month. He couldn't imagine what it must be like for her.

"I'm okay… just feeling a little weak."

"Yui…?" Yui looked to her husband, noting how disheveled he looked. His suit was ruffled from banging on Shinji's A.T. field and his hands looked bruised. He was breathing hard, she assumed from all his shouting. His face was still flushed with anger, though she could see some of the wild rage leaving his eyes. They were clouded with disbelief now. Well, that and a budding joy. She could see it then, the man she had married. He was still in there, buried beneath regrets, guilt, and a callous defense mechanism.

"Shinji, help me over to your father?" Yui asked. Shinji helped her walk over to his father as he let his field dissipate. Leliel hung back, but Rei followed closely behind Shinji and Yui. Yui stared at his father for a long moment once they were within arm's reach of each other.

"Yui!" Shinji had never heard his father sound so emotional. Especially not like that. His voice was so relieved. Gendo spread his arms apart as if to hug Yui and then his head whipped to the side with a loud smack. His mother dropped her hand, breathing hard from the exertion.

"How could you do this to our son?"

=X=

Shinji sat at his mother's bedside, watching her sleep peacefully. They were in one of the many hospital rooms on the grounds of Nerv. Shinji's eyes roamed around the room every so often, catching familiar details from his time in similar areas. He absolutely hated this place. The only memories that came to him while in this room were those of his lowest moments. He may have accepted them, but that didn't mean he wanted to think about them.

Sighing, Shinji pulled his eyes towards his father. Gendo was sitting on the other side of Yui's bed. It was the closest the man had been to her since she'd slapped him in the Eva cage. Yui had been furious with the man, telling him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to come anywhere near her until she said otherwise. Gendo hadn't listened of course, not that Yui could do anything about it. She'd fainted shortly after yelling at her husband. Shinji and Ritsuko brought her to this hospital room and Gendo hadn't been far behind.

Shinji wondered what the man would do now. His dreams had been fulfilled, but they were nothing like what he'd been expecting. For his part, Shinji couldn't understand how his father could have foreseen any other outcome. Yui was his mother and clearly had far more paternal instincts than Gendo did. At what point did his father's mind warp so much that he could foresee Yui being alright with what he had done to their son? That's not even considering what she thought of what he had planned to use Shinji for. The Third Child was surprised she hadn't asked for a divorce right then and there in the cage earlier.

"You're lucky she didn't leave you earlier… and to be honest, she still might. You would deserve it." Gendo looked up sharply at Shinji's words, his lack of shades letting his glare show through clearly.

"I would do anything for Yui! I have done everything for her!" Shinji didn't say anything after Gendo's outburst, merely watching the sad man that was his father. He could tell Gendo was doing little more than making excuses to justify the things he'd done and planned.

"And maybe that was the problem… You were needy and selfish. So focused on getting mom back that you ignored the things she cared about. You abandoned me. For years. I was just a kid; her kid. What she would have wanted you to do most was protect me. And you failed her. You disrespected her and spat on her wishes. You led her son to his death. Why would she want anything to do with you?" Shinji watched his father grip at the sheets of his mother's bed.

"How would you know what she wanted, angel?"

"How do you think? She told me." Gendo didn't speak again after that.

=X=

Leliel floated outside the hospital room next to Rei. While the two of them wanted to be inside the room for several reasons, neither one made a move to open the door. For Leliel's part, she knew Shinji probably needed this time with his father. There were a lot of unsaid words between the two. Those words were mostly from Shinji, of course, but Leliel felt like the moment should be a private affair between father and son regardless. Rei was a different case, choosing to stay out of the room because, despite all the time she'd spent with Shinji, she wasn't sure her presence there would be welcomed. Everything had changed so much in just under a week and she was no longer certain she had a place in that family any longer.

While Rei was trying to push thoughts like that out of her head, Leliel turned to her right after catching the sound of footsteps. The angel was unsurprised to see Asuka leading the other pilots towards Yui's room, Misato, Kyoko, and Ritsuko not far behind them. The pilots were back in casual clothing. Leliel knew they didn't really need to change but assumed Misato and the two scientists made them do it to give Shinji and his father some time. Not that it would have really mattered.

Thine friends are here, Seraphiel.

Thanks, Shinji replied to her, think you can watch over my mother while I go out and talk to them?

With pleasure, Leliel responded as her body phased through the wall into the hospital room. A short moment later Shinji walked out of the room and Asuka stared him in the eyes for the first time in days. Shinji looked right back at her and she honestly wasn't sure if the weird flip flop in her stomach was out of some sort of nervous dread or if it was due to her still present feelings for the boy.

The red head still wasn't sure what to think of him. She thought that maybe she would have been able to come to some sort of conclusion during his confinement, but she had only grown more confused. She'd been in her own head all week, trying and failing to decipher what Shinji meant to her at this point. Enemy? Friend? More? The young Soryu just couldn't settle her thoughts on the matter.

As she looked into his red eyes—restraining both the urge to attack and the urge to kiss him—she accepted that that was precisely why she had come to see him now. Her feelings needed to settle. She needed answers and Shinji had them.

"Shinji," greeted Kyoko, something Asuka hadn't expected. The pilot of Unit 02 wasn't entirely sure she would have been the one to speak to him first, but she at least expected it to be one of the pilots. Unaware of her daughter's thoughts, Kyoko continued, saying, "it is Shinji, correct? That is the name you prefer?" Asuka watched the red eyed boy scratch at his cheek and offer them all a one note chuckle. He dropped his eyes to the floor, seemingly not wanting to meet her own any longer.

Asuka hated how her heart clenched at the action.

"Yes. Aside from Leliel the only ones who call me by that name are the other angels. And most of them want to kill me so it hasn't really stuck…"

"Most?" Asuka's mother asked, earning a nod from Shinji.

"The angels don't have free will… and while most of them genuinely agree with Adam and want the human race dead, the others don't have any ill will and simply aren't allowed to act on their own desires."

"You'll excuse us if that's hard to believe," Ritsuko scoffed. Shinji merely shrugged in response.

"I can understand your skepticism. I didn't believe it either until we faced Matarael. That battle went completely different in my own dimension, so much so that I couldn't help but believe that he meant no harm. Whether you believe me or not isn't important though. I don't think you came here to talk about that."

"No, it isn't," Misato replied, glaring at Ritsuko for her unnecessary rudeness. Asuka didn't understand why the woman was so snippy now. Her mood seemed to sour right around the time Shinji somehow brought Yui back from the dead, but the pilot of Unit 02 just didn't understand why. As Ritsuko's scowl only deepened upon catching the look Misato was shooting her, Misato merely turned back to Shinji and continued, "We came to check on Rei… and you."

"My physical condition is sufficient as of right now. I am merely hoping to have an opportunity to speak with Shinji and Yui when she awakens," Rei responds.

"Understandable," Kyoko hums in response. Asuka didn't agree though. She couldn't understand why Rei would need to converse with Shinji's mother and she voiced as much. No one answered her for a moment and Rei merely looked to Shinji, who shrugged.

"Go ahead. They would have found out when mom woke up anyway." Nodding at his response, Rei turned to the rest of them once more.

"Shinji and I are siblings. I had thought the commander had told him this information and had yet to find a way to explain the same to me, but after considering the recent discoveries I have concluded that Shinji was only aware because he is not of our dimension." Asuka blinked as she processed the new information. She had to admit that it certainly explained a lot about their relationship.

And here I'd thought she was a rival, thought the redhead. Though she still wasn't entirely sure of her future relations with Shinji, knowing that she needn't worry over Rei was a relief.

"But Yui never had another pregnancy…" mumbled Kyoko. Asuka heard her and she wasn't the only one. Rei suddenly looked uncertain. It was an expression the second child had never seen on the other girl's face, not even the day they discovered Shinji was an angel. To be honest though, she was rather rattled that day herself.

"It's complicated. Mom didn't give birth to you traditionally… I'll explain later, Rei. It's honestly no one's business," Shinji replied, effectively ending that topic.

"Right… so how are you, Shinji?" Misato asked after no one had said anything for a few awkward moments.

"I'm well. My mother is back, I've effectively put an end to my father's plans, and I'm not stuck in solitary. I'd say things are looking up… but do you think I could make a request?"

"And… what would that be?" Misato queried. Shinji looked away from her now and his eyes locked back onto Asuka's. The girl felt her heart rate pick up, her body suddenly feeling hot from embarrassment of unknown origin. Or was she just anxious? She didn't know. Regardless, she refused to look away.

"Could I talk to Asuka alone for a bit?"

XXX

And that's the chapter!

That's that. This was fun to write, especially Misato and Kaji for some reason. I like their potential. So, as stated I have some original content going up now. My twitter is in my bio and from there you can get to the site-that-shall-not-be-named. Come check me out if you like my writing style, yeah? See you all in the next update.