The sea tossed and turned restlessly. The sea was alive, as it had been for the past 7 months. In the first of those seven months some 2.5 billion people were spat out. Each month brought fewer back. By now, anyone still missing was assumed to be gone for good.

When a woman came ashore in a skintight suit on a mid-July Sunday, not much was thought of her, given she was surrounded by people with similar clothing, though less of it, enjoying the crimson sea. The little angel wings protruding from the back of it were thought of as odd, but somewhat cute for a swimsuit. She got an odd look or two when she left the beach and, without drying off, picked up a folding paper map. She started walking to the northeast, looking at the ground for spare change and counting her options. The first numbers she thought of belonged to people she knew were dead, and would likely do her no good even if they weren't. Fortunately for her, her awareness had outlived her physical form, and after borrowing a phone book she was on the phone, dialing Misato Katsuragi.

The new Katsuragi apartment was partly dark, the trash that had already began collecting sheathed in light from distant windows. It was a general practice to not turn on lights if you could get by without it, to lessen the load on the recovering power grid. The layout of the apartment was almost exactly the same as the old one, though with different and less furniture overall. This complex had managed to survive the chaos of the past year, having been constructed from the same plan as the one in which she used to reside (which explained the similarity.)

Surprisingly, the first one to get up was the elder of the two residents, although it took a good while for her to do so. She trudged over to the phone, too tired to be surprised by the fact it hadn't yet gone to voicemail, and picked up the phone. In a tone that clearly and concisely expressed her annoyance, she questions "Whaddya want, I hope this is important…"

The woman on the other end either wasn't inconvenienced, or was masking for her audience of one. She spoke in a soft voice, one that came easily to her, "It is. I need to talk with you and Shinji– that is, Shinji Ikari, preferably in person."

This peculiar request was enough to bring Misato partially to her senses. "I'm sure you're perfectly fine, but I can't exactly let my son visit strangers willy nilly. For all I know, you're some whackjob who wants him dead."

The woman on the other end spoke up as soon as Misato finished talking, seeming… excited? Happy for someone, either him or her. "Oh, I wasn't aware you adopted him! But, as for your indirect question, you have my promise that I have no interest in harming him."

Now, Misato paused. There was something strange about this. "How could you not know? It's been in the news for the past week, and I'll tell you it's not exactly popular."

"That's a shame. I know you love him more than enough to be his adoptive mother. But, as for how I haven't heard, well, I came out of the sea about 30 minutes ago. I'd love to talk more in-depth, so if you have the time, could you come pick me up? It'd save me a train ride."

There's another pause on the line, as Misato ponders. She didn't know anyone unaccounted for that might be so knowledgeable of her care for Shinji. However, the woman seemed reasonable, with her kindly voice helping her case. "Fine. I need to get out more, anyway. Where to?"

After a moment of rustling paper on her end, the woman answered. "I can meet you at Numazu station. Thank you so much!"

Shinji was confused that Misato would be getting ready to leave at such an hour (10 AM), and was only somewhat comforted when she said something came up and to expect her back in 2 hours. In her miraculously intact Renault Alpine (She didn't question it) she was at the station within 45 minutes, and immediately she saw something she thought she'd never see again. At the station, wearing nothing but a plugsuit, was a woman with short brown hair waving at her ecstatically.

"What is this?!" She asked as she gestured vaguely towards her. The suit was similar to Rei's, looking only a little different. The main distinction were the wings peeking out the back.

The woman calmly replies, still smiling. "A plugsuit, as you well know, Major."

The major continued her interrogation, feeling a bit less trusting of the woman now. "Where did you get it? Only NERV made these and this doesn't match any pilot on record!"

The woman sighs, weighing her options. She'd had enough lies in her life so far, so she went with the truth. "I guess there's no easy way to say this," she began, then with a slight bow she continued. "My name is Dr. Yui Ikari, Shinji's biological mother. Pleased to meet you."

Misato did a double take as her eyes scanned back over the woman in front of her. The blue-green eyes and tussled brown hair checked out, but she still had a hard time believing it. Once she could be pretty certain that it was, in fact the late Dr. Ikari, she drew back her hand, only to be caught on the wrist.

Yui's voice took a more serious tone. "Save it. I understand your anger. That is why I was so hesitant to return."

Scowling, Misato pulled her arm back. "Why should I? You're equally to blame for his suffering as your husband!"

Yui's response is still controlled, though her voice hints at the offense she took. "Each step of the way, I did what I thought would be best for him. I didn't enjoy doing it, I made many mistakes, but I wanted to help him in the long run. Can't you say the same thing yourself?

Misato took a long moment to consider, her face shifting from fury to reluctant acceptance, with a tinge of shame. "I guess."

Yui's expression, too, softened. "I'd like to see my- rather, our son now."

The only response she got was when Misato jerked open the passenger door of her car. "Come on." Only when Yui was seated did she too make her way inside.

She hoped to drive home in silence, but shortly after she started the car, her passenger spoke up again. "Oh, and drive normally, please. It's not like the world is going to end for a third time."

It was met with a scoff, "Trying to lighten the mood?" Despite her put-offish remark, she did, in fact, slow down.

"We got off to a bad start, and I want to make up for that." There she went with that smile again, full of charm. She was quite a charismatic woman, after all.

"Right," was all the answer the younger woman chose to give.

Yui could tell that she wasn't thrilled to be talking, but she had special talent in dealing with people like that. Well, moreso a slight talent and a lot of persistence. "So… how's he been?"

"Ehh… he's been doing well, considering the circumstances." Silence prompted her to elaborate. "Things are still a bit chaotic all around. I've been looking for a qualified therapist, but right now we just have an ex-NERV support group. Kinda like AA, hehe…"

Misato's nervous chuckle was joined by a genuine one. "Well, that's good for you. Who else is in it?"

"It's small. Rits and I are in it, as well as Asuka… There's a good deal of the bridge crew- though the sub-commander is in hiding, and…"

Misato's voice trailed off, but her sentence was completed. "My ex-husband is dead." If Yui felt remorse, she hid it well.

The major sat for a moment in stunned silence, trying to judge the 'widow''s feelings on the matter. Eventually she chose a dry remark. "I'm not exactly gonna miss him."

Now choosing to be more open about it, Yui spoke. "I did, for a time. Mostly, I missed the man I used to know. He was put-offish, sure, but he was nice… After I passed, well… some things I couldn't forgive."

"You make it sound like you killed him yourself," said Misato, half-joking.

"I did."

The two of them withdrew into a silence that lasted most of the remainder of the drive. Misato just focused on the road, every now and then checking on her passenger. Every time she did, said woman was looking her way as well, quickly shooting up to her eyes when noticed.

Strangely enough, the murder confession didn't sour her slowly building trust for the woman. It may have helped matters, in all honesty.

Only when they were on approach to the apartment complex did Misato start a conversation again. "Alright, I'm gonna go in first and tell him someone's here to see him. You can come in when I call for you."

"Sounds like a plan," answered Yui with that consistently warm smile of hers.

Together they walked up to the door of her apartment, and while Misato stepped inside Yui waited, listening patiently. Shinji, who was relaxing in the common area, perked up upon seeing Misato poke her head out of the entry hallway. His curiosity was piqued when he noticed that Misato looked hesitant.

"Shinji…" She paused, looking over her son feeling lost for words despite all her silent planning on the ride home. "Someone very important came back today, and she wants to see you."

Further confused, but also hopeful, he asked, "Rei?"

"No, she…" Misato trailed off, not wanting to say it herself. She took a breather, then called, "Come in!"

He got up to get a better look. He couldn't think of someone other than Rei that would want to see him. Then, in a blur Yui ran in, shuffling over excitedly with her arms open. Shinji stood still, not having time to process before being pulled into an embrace. He didn't get a good look at her, but somehow he knew who it was that would hold him so dearly. He hadn't been paying attention to what she said, only letting out a quiet question. "Mother.?"

Yui responded first with a soft kiss on the forehead, then by whispering to him. "Shhh… I'm here sweetie… I missed you so much.."

She ran her hand through his hair and beckoned Misato to come over. On command she awkwardly made her way over and threaded her hands around Shinji, only to be wrapped in arms— Yui's arms— herself. Yui spoke to both of them. "I heard the good news about you two. Truly, thank you, Miss Katsuragi. Thank you for taking care of my– our son."

Despite her conflictions, Misato didn't have the heart to reject Yui's embrace, as it'd mean pulling away from Shinji too. The praise, too, had her feeling bittersweet. "You don't have to flatter me, Doctor…"

Yui looked at Misato over Shinji's head, though she couldn't catch her eye. "You didn't have to take him in, and yet you did."

Misato wasn't ready to have this conversation, so she deflected. "You should probably wash off, after your time in the ocean."

"You're right…" Yui was the one to pull away.