Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion – Studio Gainax does. If they have a problem with me writing this non-profit fan-fiction, I will gladly remove it from the web.
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1
By Random1377
Rei Ayanami was being watched. Not in the spy-thriller, duck behind a lamppost sense, but in the, 'There's someone staring at you openly' sense. Though the train that would soon pass NERV central was full of after-school passengers and salarymen, she could easily see the person staring at her.
Mostly because she was sitting right across from her.
What does she want? Rei wondered, trying to pretend that she could not see the small girl staring at her. I know that I look unusual, but it has been thirty minutes.
She brought her gaze up, deciding that intimidation might be effective.
She stared at the little girl.
The little girl stared back at her.
This is futile, she thought, looking to the girl's mother and hoping to get her attention. Have you not taught her that staring is rude? She thought idly, feeling only mild irritation.
Rei was used to being stared at. With her light blue hair, pale complexion, and blood-red eyes, the First Child drew many odd glances – though usually, the person would catch him or herself being inconsiderate and quickly look away. The girl, however, showed no such inclination. She simply continued staring at Rei, her brown eyes carefully taking in every detail.
It is my stop soon, Rei thought, looking away once more, so it is not important.
The next stop was called, and a large group of teenagers made their exit, clearing the space between them and giving the girl a better view.
Rei shifted in her seat.
She looks… unwell, she decided thoughtfully, stealing a glance at the girl. And thin.
She guessed that the girl was around three or four years old, and weighed about thirty pounds. She was wearing a faded, slightly tattered looking blue floral print sundress and worn black sandals, and held her hands together in her lap as if she was afraid her mother would admonish her for fidgeting. There was also, Rei noticed, a large streak of dirt across the girl's right cheek, and several scratches and scraps on her spindly little shins.
What kind of pressure this woman must be under, Rei thought, looking again to the girl's mother, to let her child continue to look like that and do nothing about it. How unfortunate.
Rei tried not to be judgmental of others, she really did. But sometimes, she simply could not help herself. Looking at the little girl's mother a bit more closely, she decided that the woman not only looked uncaring of her daughter – she seemed unaware. She simply stared straight ahead, occasionally, looking down towards the end of the car, then back, giggling coyly and covering her mouth.
Frowning slightly, Rei followed her gaze, feeling her disproval growing as she found a young man blowing the woman a kiss. How inappropriate, she thought, looking away as the man waved to the woman, who giggled again, I do not know all the circumstances, but I'm sure the girl's father…
Her thoughts trailed off as the little girl stood up and crossed the narrow space between them.
Unused to being the first to start a conversation, Rei simply looked down at her, frowning slightly. The girl tilted her head to the left, then the right, studying Rei's face very closely.
Rei's attention was drawn away as the train came to a stop and the young man gestured to the woman, pointing to the seat at his side that had just been vacated. The First blinked as the girl's mother nodded emphatically and stood to go over there.
"Miss?" Rei called softly, trying to get the woman's attention, but she simply hurried over to the man's side, dropping into the seat and immediately launching into an animated conversation, never once looking back to her daughter.
Rei was dumbfounded. How neglectful! She thought, amazed. She didn't even pause to say where she was…
Again her thoughts trailed off as the young girl took a step closer, then smiled brightly, holding her arms up.
"What?" Rei asked uncertainly. "What do you want?"
Her eyes widened in shock as, instead of replying, the girl slowly climbed into her lap, straddling her hips and wrapping her arms boldly around her neck. A happy sigh came from the girl's throat as she laid her head on Rei's shoulder, hugging her tightly. Things quickly went from bad to worse as her mother (with the young man in tow) stood and started towards the door, still talking animatedly.
"Miss?" Rei said quickly, trying to rise, but finding herself rather unable to. "Miss… your daughter?"
The woman turned to her, blinking with confusion as the train came to a stop, then shrugging as she commented lightly, "I don't have any kids."
Rei gaped, realizing belatedly that the woman was probably seventeen, and looked nothing at all like the girl clinging to her.
Before she could say another word, the young man took the woman by the hand, pointing out that the doors would close any minute, and they'd miss their chance to have coffee. The woman nodded, seeming to have already forgotten the conversation with the odd blue-haired girl as she followed the man off the train, leaving Rei with a lapful of child.
The doors slid quietly closed… and the train continued on its way.
**
"Your phone's ringing."
Misato Katsuragi nodded. "Get it for me?" she asked, turning the wheel of her Alpine and leaning slightly into the turn she was taking. "Kinda busy."
Shinji Ikari, her charge, nodded. "Sure."
"It's in my inner pocket," Misato grinned suddenly, "try not to brush anything… sensitive."
Shinji blushed. "Can you hand it to me?"
"Of I could hand it to you I could answer it," Misato said dryly, "just get it, Shinji."
Shinji sighed, reaching out as carefully as he could and slipping his hand into the front of his guardian's flight jacket. He jumped as she shivered and let out a soft, whispery gasp, then laughed out loud as he jerked his hand back.
"S-sorry," she laughed, "ok, I won't do it again."
Shinji glared at her for a moment before quickly slipping his hand into her pocket and pulling out her phone. "Umm, hello?" he said into the device, still eyeing the amused woman.
"Ikari?"
"Ayanami?" Shinji replied.
Obviously feeling that small talk was a waste of time, the girl said, "May I speak to Captain Katsuragi, please?"
"She's driving," Shinji muttered, "and not very well."
"Hey!"
"I see," Rei said quietly. There was a long pause before she finally whispered. "Would you ask her if she could retrieve me, please?"
"Retrieve you?" Shinji echoed. "From where?"
"Takayama station."
"That's the end of the line!" Shinji exclaimed. "Are you ok?"
"Yes."
Shinji turned to Misato. "Ayanami's ummm… at the end of the train line," he said awkwardly. "Can we pick her up?"
"That's so far out of the way!" Misato groaned. "What's going on? Can't she just get back on the train??"
"I have experienced an… unexpected situation," Rei explained mysteriously. "I cannot reach my pocket."
"Huh??"
"Give me that!" Misato growled, taking one hand off the wheel… and several years off of Shinji's life as she swerved erratically. "Rei? What's going on?" she asked tiredly. "Yes, I kinda figured that much… uh huh… uh huh…" Her eyes widened as she applied the brakes – rather hard – and the car came to a screeching halt. "A WHAT?? No, I heard you, but… uh huh… and you didn't try to stop her? Well, no, I… ok, I see your point…" Sighing, and ignoring the angry horns all around her, Misato rubbed her eyes. "We'll be right there."
"What's going on?" Shinji asked nervously, "Is she hurt?"
"No," Misato muttered, accelerating suddenly and nearly causing three accidents, "but she does need help."
Shinji's eyes widened as the woman explained just what the situation was.
"Oh."
"Yeah," Misato nodded, already trying to think of a solution for their new problem, "Oh."
**
"Well that's something I have to admit I didn't think I'd see in my lifetime."
Rei glanced up at the sound of her commanding officer's voice, giving her a bland stare over the child's shoulder. She chose not to reply to the comment, looking instead to Ikari's face, feeling oddly curious to see what kind of reaction he would have.
It was definitely… interesting.
Shinji was staring at the child with a peculiar combination of fear and what appeared to be longing, and his hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides as he bit his bottom lip. "Why…" he began, clearing his throat as his voice came out somewhat squeaky. "Ayanami…?"
Rei, having no answer, looked back to the Captain. "She will not let me go."
Misato looked almost as uncomfortable as Shinji, but she managed to smile, taking a seat next to Rei. "Hey there," she said lightly, "what's your name?"
The girl turned in Rei's arms, moving her face to the other shoulder and smearing some dirt on the pilot's school jumper, adding to the small deposit already there. Misato frowned and nodded to Shinji, who hesitated for a moment before sitting down on Rei's other side.
"Umm… hi," the boy said hesitantly, "I'm Shinji."
The girl turned away, hunching slightly and burrowing her face into the hollow at the base of Rei's throat.
"Does she talk at all?" Misato asked tiredly. "Do you know her name?"
"No ma'am," Rei whispered, "I have not spoken to her since the train stopped."
Misato glanced at her watch, shrugging as her memory told her she had no pressing engagements. "Ask her what her name is, Rei," she instructed, "since she seems… attached to you," her lips quirked up into a smile, "she might answer."
Rei pursed her lips, obviously not appreciating the woman's humor, and murmured, "What is your name?"
The girl burrowed her face in closer to the pale girl, muttering something into her skin.
"What was that?" Misato asked, leaning closer.
"It sounded like… Donna?" Shinji muttered.
"It was not a word," Rei corrected quietly.
The girl pulled back a bit to offer Rei a sunny smile before leaning her head on her shoulder, facing Shinji.
"I'll call the police, then," Misato said quietly, "they'll have to send someone to get her, because this is not our responsibility."
"M-Misato…?" Shinji stammered, "Couldn't we at least… drive her there? I mean," he averted his eyes, "She likes Ayanami… couldn't we just drop her off, instead of having them come take her?" His shoulders slumped slightly. "Please?"
Misato frowned, her mind conveniently supplying her with images of a couple beat cops pulling the girl (struggling and crying, in her mind) from Rei and hauling her uncaringly off to be stuck in a room marked 'nursery' until her parents could be located – if they could be located.
"I think," she said finally, "that's Rei's decision."
Rei blinked.
"I mean," Misato continued, "she's the one that would have to hold the girl – it's her choice. Either way is ok with me."
The First Child glanced down at the girl.
The girl glanced back up at her.
"I will need help carrying her."
"I'll pull the car around," Misato nodded, "as close to the landing as I can get. Shinji, help Rei."
"Me??" Shinji gasped, "What can I do?"
Misato shrugged. "Let her lean on you, hold one leg, I dunno – just help."
"Ummm, ok."
Shinji stood, walking around to the other side of the girl.
"Hold my hand," Rei instructed, putting one arm around the girl's back and extending her other.
Shinji nodded, taking the offered hand, then stumbling slightly as Rei attempted to leverage herself up.
"Tighter," Rei said quietly.
Tightening his grip, Shinji pulled, getting the girls upright. "Put your hand under her!" he said quickly, "She's going to fall."
Rei frowned. "That would be inappropri-"
"Ayanami!"
The blue-haired girl spread her feet a bit, planting them as she began to topple and putting her hands reluctantly under the younger girl's bottom.
"Put your hands on my shoulders," she said softly, trying to redistribute the child's weight, "and walk behind me."
Shinji did as he was told, putting his hands on the First Child's shoulders and bracing himself as she leaned back slightly, letting him support part of her weight. "How much does she weigh?" he asked suddenly, thinking that Rei should be able to handle this on her own.
"I do not know," Rei said, starting to walk awkwardly to the car, "but she has been sitting on me for four hours."
"Four hours??" Shinji burst, "Why didn't you call sooner, Ayanami?"
Rei said nothing for a moment, holding the girl tighter as they reached the stairs. "I did not wish to be an inconvenience."
"But… but…" the Third Child was at a total loss for words.
"Move around to the other side," Rei said quietly.
Still flustered, Shinji did as he was told, putting his hands on the young girl's back to steady her. "You should have-"
He was interrupted as the girl suddenly cried out, tightening her grip on Rei's chest and arching away from Shinji's touch. Thrown off balance, Rei fell, dropping onto the hard stairs with a pained grunt.
The girl began to cry.
Shinji's stomach twisted in knots at the soft, miserable sound. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, dropping to one knee and reaching out to touch the girl's shoulder.
"Do not."
He froze at the calm authority in Rei's voice.
Slowly, the First leaned forward, craning her neck over the girl's shoulder and peering down the back of her shirt. "Ikari…" she said quietly, her brow furrowing as she hooked a finger into the girl's shirt and pulled it carefully back.
Shinji drew a sharp hiss as his eyes fell on a series of angry red sores, covering the girl's back. Those spots on her dress, he thought faintly, I thought… my God I think I'm going to be sick.
"Come on…"
He looked over his shoulder, finding Misato standing at the driver's side of her idling car.
"Get her inside... I'll call the police, and they can meet us at the doctor's office."
**
"So what you're saying is… you can't do anything for her."
Rei looked up as Misato pushed her way back into the doctor's office.
The doctor had been forced to cut the young girl's shirt open in the back to dress her sores, since she still would not let go of Rei and everyone was concerned that a sedative might have adverse affects on her frail body.
"Look," the police officer she had been talking to said reasonably, "I see probably seven cases like this a day – and we really do try to help these kids out… but it takes time, Captain, you can't expect miracles! No dental records, no blood matches – we don't even know if her family is still alive, so we have no real choice."
"What's going on?" Shinji asked.
Shinji sat next to Rei for the entire drive, trying unsuccessfully to get the little girl to talk to him… or perhaps just trying to keep her calm, Rei was not quite sure which.
"They want to put her in foster care," Misato said tiredly, "a halfway house crammed with a bunch of others like her, or with some musty old couple that remember First Impact."
Shinji averted his eyes. "Oh."
"Oh!?" Misato exploded. "That's all you're going to say?? Look at her! She's all alone!"
Rei frowned slightly as Shinji flinched. Strange, she thought shrewdly, the Captain seems more upset at her powerlessness than Ikari…
Shinji was spared further embarrassment as the doctor came back in. "Test results," she said brightly, "our little mystery girl here is, all things considered, healthy. No traces of drugs, disease, or… ahem, inappropriate contact. She's underweight and malnourished… but she should bounce back from that pretty quickly, I'd think." She blinked as what she hoped was good news failed to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"So what happens now…?" Shinji ventured after the doctor murmured 'I'll check back in a minute' and excused herself.
The officer considered the three for a moment, finally focusing on Misato. "We could arrange temporary custody…" he said slowly, "if you're that concern-"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Misato cut in quickly, "Do I look like I know how to take care of kids??"
"Well yours look ok!" the man retorted, the stress of his day forcing his temper. "Twins aren't easy – and they look pretty healthy to me! I have to say I'm impressed – you must have had them pretty young."
Misato flushed. "Look, pal," she growled, "I-"
"Please…?"
All eyes turned to Shinji, who had put his hand lightly on the girl's.
"I could take care of her," he said quietly, smiling at her as she turned her face into Rei's chest. "I could-"
"You're a pilot," Misato cut in flatly, "and you have school."
"It would only be a few weeks," the officer pressed quickly, sensing an ally in the young man, "and the state would be willing to pay for daycare during normal work hours." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Come on… help me out here – I don't want to see her in one of those little kiddy camps any more than you do… come on."
Misato shook her head. "I can't," she murmured softly, "I have too many responsibilities to worry about a child."
"Please Misato," Shinji whispered, his voice shaking slightly, "I'll do everything – you won't even know she's there, ok? You said she was alone… please don't make her be alone anymore."
The woman's face contorted as if she had put something sour in her mouth – her own foot, perhaps – then her shoulders slumped and she let out a deep sigh. "You win," she said slowly, "but Shinji… you will have to make sure that she's properly fed, clothed, and bathed – this isn't a puppy you found on the street – and you can't forget," she shook her head, making sure she had his full attention. "You can't forget that she is not living with us forever – this is just a temporary solution, do you understand?"
"I know," Shinji smiled, patting the girl's hand.
"Rei," Misato said quietly, "can you come home with us and hold her until she falls asleep? Then I'll take you home, ok?"
"Yes ma'am."
The room fell silent as everyone considered the little girl. After a minute, she turned to face Shinji again, keeping hold of Rei with one arm and slipping her thumb into her mouth.
**
"Just put her on my bed."
Rei nodded, walking quietly through the darkened house to the Captain's room, waiting as Shinji slid the door open and placing the little girl carefully onto the futon. She bowed diffidently to Misato and turned to walk towards the front door to wait for her ride.
"You're sure about this?" Misato whispered, glancing at Shinji as she pulled her keys back out of her pocket.
Shinji nodded, hefting the bag of miscellaneous 'toddler' goods they had acquired on the way home. "I'll be ok," he said, sounding very nervous, "go on."
"I'm not sure to be proud of you or disappointed in you," Misato told him coolly, eying the bag with a very skeptical expression, "you deliberately twisted my own words to suit your needs, you begged shamelessly, and on top of all that, you talked me into paying for all that junk." She shook her head seriously. "I sincerely hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, Shinji."
The boy flushed, because he did not truly know what he was getting into – not even remotely. "Ayanami's waiting for you," he whispered.
Misato sighed. "I have to go report this to Section Two," she said quietly, "because I know they know about it – but I'll get in trouble if I don't file a report. Stupid rules." She shook her head. "So don't expect me back for a while, k?" When Shinji nodded, the woman frowned. "Can't believe I got roped into this," she muttered, pulling out her keys, "must be getting old."
She made her way to the front door, walking straight to her car as Rei fell in step at her side. Neither spoke as they drove, each too caught up in their own thoughts to make awkward small talk, or (worse still) important conversation. When they arrived at the girl's apartment complex, Misato finally spoke.
"How do you feel about all of this, Rei?"
The First Child pondered her response for a moment. "It is unimportant, Captain," she said quietly.
"Maybe," Misato conceded, "but I'm curious. Does it…" she leaned back in her seat, looking at the ceiling of her car. "Does it make you feel good to be wanted like that?"
Rei looked at the handle to the car door, very much desiring to pull it. "It is… unimportant."
"Alright," Misato sighed, "you don't have to tell me… goodnight, Rei."
"Goodnight."
Misato shook her head as the girl got out of the car and walked up the stairs to her building. So cold, she thought sadly.
She considered the front of the apartment building for a minute or two, then shifted the car into first gear and started off slowly towards NERV central to file her report.
Continued…?
Author's notes: none.
No pre-reader was used on this story.
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