I start writing this fan fiction, the same evening I bought Evangelion vol. 9

In this fic I used characters from CC Sakura. In the next chapters, I also borrow characters from other mangas such as Sailor Moon, Nadia, and Wataru Yoshizumi's "Kimishika Iranai" (children, mainly). I'd like to make it clear that CC Sakura's characters who are present in this fic are slightly different from the original ones.

Tomoyo is not Sonomi's daughter, but Ritsuko Akagi. Yukito Tsukishiro's son Yuki, on this occasion, has become a surgeon! ^^ Tomoyo isn't ten; she's six (seven in the next chapters). The same thing for Akane; (the child with pony-tails who appears in The Card Float's ep, if you want a picture of her ask me.) she isn't the very beautiful daughter of that mummy who always leaves her all alone at home (poor little child *sniff*). She's Misato Katsuragi and Kaji Ryouji's daughter, and she's almost three years, the little toddler! For the rest (at least in regard of this ep.) I didn't invent any other character; Nozomi existed already (even if she appears in no Eva ep. Hikari sometimes mentions her).

I close these notes, telling of the time that this fic takes place (as you can argue from the timeline) in the future ^^ : ten years after; and myself being a total fan of the Rei-Shinji couple, I based this fan fiction mainly on those two ^^;;And in this fan fiction Rei is NOT sterile, differing from the rumor about it. Now I'm going to stop talking, ok? Good Reading! And if you wish you have a fanart showing both Misato and Akane together, contact me and I can send a copy of the attachment to you ASAP! Rina-chan

"Opening The Future Doors"

Neo Tokyo-3. 15th May 2025AD

Tranquillity had finally reigned over Neo-Tokyo 3. Ten years had past, from the last terrestrial fight against the Angels. It was spring time at last. Shinji Ikari was no longer the shy, introverted, melancholic fourteen year old he was before. Three months ago today, on the 15th February 2025, he had finally realized his biggest dream...and now he was living it, interpreting it as one of the most beautiful moments in his life...

"Mmm...it's already morning..."Shinji whispered, sitting on his bed and looking out the window next to him.

Outside the window, he could admire the blossomed garden while the cherry trees opened their graceful pink flowers, which a slight morning wind dandled sweetly. The boy smiled. Even though three months had passed since he had moved to this little home in suburbia, the peaceful and quiet sight which had been created all around him, still amazed him and filled his heart with joy and sweetness.

*Cherry trees blossoming...what a wonderful sight...*

Shinji leaned his hand over the window's glass and opened it by pushing softly, letting clean and scented spring air in. The boy stretched, and then turned and looked sideways on the bed, by now no more a single bed, but a double as he had found his life partner. Even though the place next to him was empty, one could see by the pillow and blanket's creases somebody had slept there. Shinji smiled, looking at the empty place next to him. This was also a part of the happiness reigning over the young man's heart because it pointed out the fact that he was no longer alone, that someone, during the night, had been by his side.

*She won't ever change...she's always the same early bird...* he thought while smiling. Then, looking forward over the bedside table, cast a glance at the alarm clock: 7:30 AM.

"I'd better get up. They'll be waiting for me at the Base. I guess she's waiting for me too..."Shinji said, standing up from the bed and exiting the room.

Shinji drew near the half-closed door of the kitchen where the sounds of colliding cups and coffee spoons could be heard from all over the room...

Shinji smiled and peeped through the slightly opened door: it was Rei. Still dressed in her nighty, she was preparing breakfast. Shinji kept on looking at her, standing still in front of the half-closed door. He looked at every gentle and fine movement of her seductive frame while she was arranging the table piece by piece, waiting for Shinji's wake-up. He was fascinated by this girl who had become his wife three months before. Looking at her like this, when she was standing alone in front of the sink, in a true aura of loveliness, holding the coffee pot in her hand and dressed with a golden sunrise from the window behind her...it was all a marvelous show for Shinji. It was as if an angelic creature was in front of him. She stood before him as if she had just come from Paradise for him alone in order to make him feel all the happiness he had never felt before.

Shinji remained to gaze at her while she was rinsing the coffee pot; he looked at her thin tender shoulders bent over the sink. Sometimes he had the impression he could see a pair of wings through the glimmer of the sun which enlightened her frame.

Shinji lowered his head, closed his eyes, and then smiled and slowly opened the door and entered the room.

Rei turned to Shinji slowly, watching him approach her, then smiled sweetly. Still smiling, she looked away from Ikari and went back to looking at the sink where she was rinsing kitchen utensils. Shinji drew near her and embraced her from behind, crossing Rei's shoulders with his arms. Then he leaned his head over the girl's shoulder.

"Good morning, my love..."Rei whispered, turning and kissing Shinji over her shoulder.

"Good morning to you, Rei-chan," Shinji answered, returning her kiss.

Rei wiped her hands with a towel and, together with Shinji, drew near the table where an abundant breakfast was already waiting for them. It had been prepared by Rei's own hands. They sat at the table.

"Just think, three months have passed since that day and it still doesn't seem real to me yet," Shinji said, smiling while pouring milk into a cup, looking at the bi-monthly calendar that still showed the old paper which was signed in red for their wedding day: 15th February 2025

"Yes. Three months ago we realized our love and exchanged our mutual eternal promise..."answered Rei, putting her cup on the table.

The wedding ring shone, encircling the annular finger of her left hand. Shinji observed the wedding ring on Rei's finger, and looked at his too, lifting his open hand, towards sunlight which made the ring shine. Over the ring there were tiny engravings: "From Rei to Shinji Forever" The young man smiled, remembering again the moment when he attached the wedding ring again to Rei's finger and the moment when Rei reciprocated the ring, with the fateful sentence: "With this ring, symbol of my fidelity and love, I marry you, Shinji..."

"You're thinking about it again aren't you, Shin-chan?" asked Rei, smiling at the young man, already sensing what he was recalling while they were having their breakfast slowly.

Shinji nodded.

"There's no minute I'm not thinking of it, Rei-chan. It was the most beautiful sentence I have ever heard in the world..."

Rei smiled once again and looked in turn at the engravings over her wedding ring. Of course, the inscriptions were the opposite of the ones which Rei had engraved over the ring she gave him. "From Shinji to Rei Forever".

In spite of the inscriptions being tiny, to say the least, still in that moment they could be read very well. Better than a hoarding written in very large letters.

"We'll spend a happy life together, Rei-chan, myself and you," Shinji said, a double-edged sentence hiding another meaning. Even if he tried to camouflage the second meaning to Rei, and to avoid her thinking it over a key which would be better not to touch...(I'm not sure what to do here. It's a fragment sentence but I don't understand the complete thought. Even if he tried to hide it…what…what would happen even if he tried to hide it?) Sure, he could have avoided saying such a sentence, but he knew Rei very well by now.

Often when they discussed together their happiness, he could read in her eyes a slight thread of sorrow which she often used to hide, but Shinji succeeded in catching it the same.

Then Shinji, in order to avoid Rei touching on that question, tried to remove it from his sentence, in order to make her understand that she was enough for him. To have another person who proves their love, wasn't that indispensable for being happy forever. Rei understood what Shinji was thinking of, but differently from the way she used to behave when a certain subject was brought up with her. The girl blushed slightly and, looking away from the ring, looked at Shinji full in the face: one could notice a slight embarrassment on her face in that moment.

"S...Shin-chan…"

But all at once, Shinji regained the cognition of time and suddenly rushed to glance at the clock behind him.

"Oh GOSH!!!! It's so late!!! I'm already late! I have to get to the Base!!!" yelled Shinji with regret before drinking milk from his mug as quickly as possible.

Rei was surprised at Shinji's reaction but then went back to smiling while looking at the young man, or better, her bridegroom, stuffing himself so quickly, as he used to do when he was a little boy late for the school. But then, she came back and tried to complete the sentence which had made her blush with embarrassment before.

"Shin-chan..."she whispered, standing up from her seat slowly.

"What's with you, Treasure?" said Shinji, lazily, while trying to dress up in record-time to get to the Base. In that moment, he was really too busy, but he could not imagine Rei was to tell him such a notice. He thought it was the usual morning ritual of effusions which they returned to each other before Shinji went to work.

"Ehm...I...have something to say to you..." said Rei blushing while creasing the thin hem of her nighty with her left hand.

"Tell me, Rei-chan! To hell with this tie!! How in the world did it knot this way??!"

"Ehm...you know...I have something to say to you..." said the girl lowered her eyes shyly, unable to keep on with the sentence she was trying to say.

Shinji, in a hurry, kissed her, took her hand, and said" Yes, I know! Love you so much too, Rei-chan! But now I really have to run! Sorry if I can't stay here and listen to you. I'm really late! Today at Nerv I have to replace my father 'cause he's abroad. I wish Fuyutsuki hadn't retired. See you this evening, Love! And prepare yourself for this evening. I'll take you to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate our third month of marriage! Do you agree??"

"Shin-chan...I guess...that...I...I'm...expecting a ba-baby..." said Rei, gazing at the floor, embarrassed. She kept creasing the hem of her nighty with her hand.

Shinji, still in a big hurry, for a moment didn't mind what Rei had told him.

"Oh, yeah! Wonderful! You're expecting a baby..."Shinji finally realized what Rei had told him and opened up all at once with one hand remaining over the door handle. Suddenly, there was a pause of silence surrounding the house. Shinji's mind blurred completely at Rei's words and his heart kept on beating more and more quickly as he kept on asking himself if it had been a dream or the truth he had heard.

"Wh...what..."faltered Shinji, caught by a strong emotion, making an effort not to faint right then.

"It's true, Shinji."

Rei stopped to gaze at the floor and lifted her fearful eyes towards Shinji slowly, waiting with angst and fear of the reaction of the man, who still remained speechless and wide-eyed. The interminable silence was broken from his briefcase, which slipped out of Shinji's hand and fell to the ground.

"Are...you really...Rei-chan!?!?" asked Shinji, still shocked. A smile of unbelievable joy outlined over his lips.

The girl, seeing Shinji's smile, cheered up and nodded.

"Oh...Rei-chan...my Treasure, but--it's...it's wonderful...it's MARVELLOUS!!!" he yelled, flinging himself at Rei and hugging her as tightly as possible.

"Shinji...I...I..."Rei whispered, almost crying for joy. "I thought that...that I could never have…it was...it was always said that I was sterile...and yet...and yet now...now I'm..."

Shinji stopped embracing Rei to look her in the eye. He smiled at her and kept his hand over the young woman's thin shoulders.

"Rei, it doesn't matter what had been said. What is happening now is what is important! And now, you're expecting a baby, our baby, Rei-chan..."Shinji whispered, moving his hands over Rei's face, and kissing her intensely.

"Yes. You're right, Shin-chan," Rei said, caressing her lap with a hand.

Shinji rested his hand over Rei's.

"Who knows what a big tummy you'll have in some months..." said Shinji ironically while caressing her lap.

"At any rate, today I'll go to Doctor Akagi for an ultrasound so we can confirm the pregnancy. You know sometimes the pregnancy tests can be wrong."

Shinji nodded, smiling.

"In my opinion, it wasn't wrong, Rei-chan. Who knows if it'll be a baby boy or a baby girl..."

Rei shook her head.

"I don't know, I think it's too early to know."

"Right..." said Shinji, still smiling, his eyes full of tears.

The sound of the cuckoo-clock in the entrance, saying eight o' clock in the morning broke the brief moment of tranquility.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! IT'S SO LATE!!! I GOTTA HURRY OR I'LL MISS THE EIGHT TEN BUS!!!" yelled Shinji, nearly tearing his hair out. "Rei-chan, Treasure! I will see you later in the afternoon! Don't strain yourself, will you! And say hello to our child for me as well, when you see him or her showing in the ultrasound, okay? See you soon, my Sweet Love!!"

Rei-chan smiled, seeing her Shinji running so quickly down the stairs of their house, like a boy, running late for school. Rei watched from the window at Shinji, running like mad in order to arrive at the nearest bus-stop on time. She smiled and then looked down along her womb and, caressing it, thought to herself *Thank you, Shinji...*

Ten minutes later, Shinji was standing on the bus that would carried him to Nerv. The young man was wrapped up in a thousand thoughts.

*It's wonderful...I can't believe it...we will have a child...it would be just right to have the son I have always thought I could never have...Before marrying her I had to make a choice: either Rei or a son. I knew I could never have both of them, and yet...I'm sure God wanted this pregnancy...*

Shinji was almost touched by thinking of that fateful sentence which Misato had said ten years ago. In that very moment it had become his motto: *A miracle's value can be appreciated only when it realized...*

The boy looked towards the sky through the window of the bus

"And it's really true..."whispered Shinji, sighing with relief and smiling.

"HEY, SHINJI!!" someone behind him yelled, interrupting the boy's dreams and making him jump in fear. Shinji swung around to find his old friend, Toji Suzahara, grinning at him.

"TO...TOJI!!...ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?" exclaimed Shinji, pale and frightened.

"What are you doing, you idiot!?!? Are you daydreaming?!?!?" Toji went on in a definitely ironic and malicious tone.

Toji circled Shinji's neck with an arm and whispered something in his ear which made poor Shinji blush to death (da morire).

"WHY ARE YOU TALKING NONSENSE, TOJI!!" Shinji yelled, more embarrassed than angry.

Toji kept on with his mischievous grin.

"Eehh...give it up!!! You know I don't trust you. Who knows what you and Rei are doing during the night?!!"

"TOJI, STOP IT!!!" insisted Shinji, not succeeding anymore in ignoring attention of the other passengers on the bus.

"Okay, okay...I won't let the other people see how far you can reach for your fantasies..."

Shinji tried to make his old friend change subject, before the driver could give them a good telling off. They were no longer young boys and being told off would be a big embarrassment for two adults like them.

"And...and you? How is it going with Hikari?" asked Shinji, collecting himself from the embarrassment.

"Oh! I almost forgot it!" Toji said, looking for something inside his trouser pockets. "Here. Finally, it's an invitation to our wedding. Hikari and I found an apartment which is handy for us, and I found a regular job as a trainer for a local mini-basketball team. So we have decided to get married. It'll be the sixth day of next month, and bring your little damsel as well please!"

"Ah, well, I'm happy for you! I'll come for sure!" answered Shinji, reading the invitation ticket for Toji and Hikari's wedding.

Toji smiled "I will be expecting you then!"

"Sure!" answered Shinji.

All at once, the bus stopped and the doors opened.

"I'm getting off here. The gym where I teach is near here. See you later, Shinji! Take care of yourself! And please give my greetings to Rei!" Toji said, while hopping off the bus

"Thank you! And you, reciprocate with Hikari!"

"Sure, sure!!"

When all the persons destined to get off at this bus-stop had got off, the doors closed themselves and Shinji found next to him a seat which finally was free. He sat down, looking again at the invitation ticket for the wedding. With his imagination he had changed it to a born-annunciation ticket, imagining the one which, within nine months, would be like this. He'd have to deliver too. Shinji smiled and shook his head, making the thought which was wrapping him up, fade away. The young man looked out of the window, and saw that his bus-stop was the next, so he lifted up from the ground his briefcase, and got ready to get off.

Two hours later...

"Oh Rei-chan...you're not expecting only a baby. You're expecting two!!" Doctor Ritsuko exclaimed joyfully, while checking the monitor which was showing the inner of girl's womb during the ultrasound.

"What?!?" asked Rei, astonished.

"That's it! It's really so!! They're twins! Look for yourself!" said Ritsuko, smiling and indicating two points present in the monitor. "Look at it...do you see that little spot here which is moving slowly?"

The girl nodded.

"Here it is, and this being one of the pair...and...do you see here? On the other side you can see the other little spot very similar to the first one. That's your second baby! Making them the two little twins! Unfortunately, it's still too early to determinate their sex, but one thing is sure: there are two babies!"

Ritsuko kept on with her smiling.

"I can't...I can't believe it!..."Rei whispered to herself, still astonished. She kept observing the monitor.

Ritsuko smiled and came back to look at Rei.

"It's true, Rei-chan! Congratulations, Treasure! You'll soon become the mother of two wonderful babies!"

Rei was almost on the verge of tears.

"Incredible...I...I...thought that...I could never have..."

"We thought too, Rei-chan. Yet the ultrasound here speaks clearly. There are two babies in your womb; two babies who'll bear in less than nine months. You see, science can take great strides, but remember that nature always makes greater strides. It's impossible to rule nature," Ritsuko said, passing the sensor over Rei's womb, gently, and keeping her eye on the monitor.

Rei smiled and look at the monitor where she could make out the tiny shapes of those who would soon become her children. All at once someone knocked on the door of Doctor Akagi's laboratory.

"Mummy, it's me!" said a voice which appeared to be feminine and childish, coming from beyond the door.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan, is that you?" asked Doctor Akagi, speaking to the person who stood outside the door. The door opened slowly.

"May I....Hello, Mummy! Sorry...I didn't know you were working. Did I bother you?" asked discreetly a little girl about five or six years with very long dark hair tied up in two tails falling forward, and two big blue eyes, which matched the color of the elegant dress she was wearing.

Hello, Tomoyo-chan!" chorused Rei and Ritsuko.

"No, please come in, Tomoyo-chan. Don't worry!" said Rei, smiling at the child.

"Sure, Tomoyo-chan! Please, come in! We're almost done," answered Ritsuko tenderly, smiling at the child.

Tomoyo shut the door behind her. Slowly she came into the lab and went to sit down in a seat placed in a corner of the room.

"It's all right, my dear. You can get up now," Ritsuko said, helping Rei to stand up.

"Thanks, Doctor Akagi" answered Rei, getting herself sat over the litter where she had been lying before, and arranging her shirt.

"Not at all, Rei-chan. Please be aware that since there are two babies the pregnancy will be more difficult, especially for you, being so frail. At the moment you're beginning the second trimester. Though the troubles are smaller, I bet you've already felt symptoms of nausea or sudden dizziness, said Ritsuko.

"Yes, it's true...because of them Shinji and I had to give up going out in the evening most nights," answered the girl.

Ritsuko laughed.

"Yes, exactly. And little by little, unfortunately, these symptoms will become more and more frequent and will be accompanied by other troubles such as pain in the lower womb, shivers from hot to cold, and sudden laziness. Around the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, the babies will start the process for completing their bodies. Then, they'll keep on kicking and it'll feel like the babies have woken up all at once. This is the most critical phase of the pregnancy, but for this there's still time...there's no need to worry now.

"By the way, if you should feel ill, don't hesitate to call me! All right, Rei-chan?"

The lady nodded, smiling. Tomoyo, Doctor Akagi's daughter, listened to all the dialog silently. One could argued from the look on her face, that the little girl hadn't a word of the conversation.

Rei became solemn.

"But will I be able to accomplish the pregnancy?" whispered the young lady, with fear, after what Doctor Akagi had told her what a pregnancy implied.

"Don't worry, treasure, we are with you, or better, with all of you..."answered Doctor Akagi, leaning her hands over the girl's shoulders, reassuring her all will have turned for the best.

"Mrs. Ritsuko..."

Doctor Akagi hugged the girl in a token of comfort.

"I'm really very happy for you, Rei-chan. Now you've got a real family, which you built yourself, you've got a fantastic husband, and now you'll have some children too! A lot of congratulations, Treasure!"

"Doctor Akagi..."whispered Rei, touched.

Ritsuko smiled.

"Oh, that's funny! I've almost forgot it!" she exclaimed, getting some sheets out from the desk that were for doctors' eyes only.

"What are these?" asked Rei.

"Here! They are some screenshots of the ultrasound. Let Shin-chan see your 'pupils' too," Ritsuko said, delivering the sheets in hand.

Rei looked at them, smiled, and nodded happily.

"Now it's late...Tomoyo-chan, treasure, would you mind shutting the windows so we can go?"

"Yes, mummy!" answered the little girl, getting off the seat, and running to shut the windows.

"Come to think of it, Tomoyo-chan. Didn't you come back home with daddy today? Why did you come here?"

"Today we finished the singing-lessons earlier and when I went to daddy's hospital they told me that daddy won't be able to come with us for breakfast because he had to operate on a sudden emergency. So then I came to you!"

"I see...I'm sorry, love, I know you wanted to came back home with daddy today but our work is full of accidents..."

"Yes I know! Don't worry, mummy! I can wait for another day! And today he promised he'll be at home for breakfast!"

Tomoyo nodded and smiled once again, while drawing near her mother and Rei.

"Lucky you, Rei-chan! This job's commitments, among you and Shin-chan, will be a little frequent, and then both of you will be able to dedicate more of yourselves to your children!" said Ritsuko.

Rei blushed shyly saying, "Yes...then...see you soon, Doctor Akagi. Thank you for everything, and give my regards to Doctor Tsukishiro as well."

"Thanks Rei-chan! Reciprocate with Shin-chan!" answered Ritsuko.

"I'll cheer up my daddy for you" said Tomoyo, turning to Rei.

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan!"

Rei thanked Doctor Akagi her daughter once again, before they parted, taking different ways. Rei headed toward the lift while Ritsuko and her daughter took the longest corridor. While walking, Tomoyo looked at her mother

"Mummy..."

"Yes?" answered Ritsuko.

"Ehm...may I ask you something?" said the little girl, bringing one hand in front of the mouth, and blushing slightly.

"Of course you can, Tomoyo-chan. What is it about?" asked Ritsuko.

"What's the 'Prettnancy'?" answered Tomoyo, shielding with her hand in front of her mouth.

"The 'Prettnancy!?!? Do you mean the 'Pregnancy'?!?!?"

Tomoyo nodded and Ritsuko smiled.

"Ehm...I'll explain it on the way home!" answered Ritsuko stroking Tomoyo's hair.

"Mm...dash! The lift is engaged..." said the girl with blue hair while clicking once again the lift's button, booking it. While waiting for the lift, the girl came back and looked once again at the ultrasound's pictures, which she had to show Shinji, smiling to herself she enjoyed imagining how her babies would be like once they were born.

Rei thought again to Ritsuko's behavior towards her daughter and to all the responsibilities which it involved. At any rate, it wasn't so difficult. Rei had learnt since she had known Shinji to take care of herself, then of him, and now, she believed that, finally, it wouldn't have been that hard to take care of other persons, or better, of her babies....

It was the noise of the lift's doors which broke off Rei's thoughts, opening at that floor, a little girl about three years old with two little brown pony-tails, chestnut eyes, dressed up in dungarees that were chamois colored and white short sleeves tee-shirt underneath them jumped out of the lift.

Rei recognized her.

The child seemed to be in a hurry. In fact, when the doors were fully opened, the child escaped with quick steps, waving only briefly at the girl who smiled, looking at the odd figure of the child, running so quickly.

Rei then thought maybe it'd be better to stop her. Usually children don't go around the huge corridors of Nerv...they could get lost. All at once she listened to some very quick steps, coming from the flight behind her, as if someone else was coming upstairs quick as possible, but very likely it was an adult this time.

"AKANE-CHAN!!! GIVE IT UP!!I PRAY YOU! STOP YOU!!"

At the exclamation, the girl turned and saw Colonel Katsuragi pop out of the stairs breathing heavily. She got her breath back for a second, while leaning a hand on the handrail of the stairs. Although some seconds later, she was running again like a possessed Demon, along the corridor, while keeping in her hand an opened pot of something, with a little spoon inside it. The Colonel became aware of Rei and thought maybe she, being nearest to the little child, could reach the child before she got away.

"REI-CHAN!!I PRAY YOU!!! STOP THAT CHILD!!! STOP HER!!"

Rei, always obeying the orders which were given to her, chased the 'little fugitive' who was running only a few feet in front, when suddenly, the little girl stumbled over the laces of her shoes which were kept undone, and slammed to the ground, sliding along the smooth and bright floor of Nerv.

Misato ran towards the child before she could stand up again and with a leap caught her by an arm and lifted her up roughly while she was agitated.

"Ah-Ah!!! I caught you this time!! Did you see, Treasure?? How odd, wasn't it?? Today haven't you wondered why I let you undo your shoelaces without interrupting you?? Eeeh?? Ahahaha!! You outsmarted yourself with your own hands! OHOHOHOHO."

"Mummy!! Leave me alone!!" exclaimed the little child struggling.

Rei looked at the scene, astonished.

*What is Colonel Katsuragi saying to her daughter?? Has she gone crazy??*

Misato turned to Rei sensing her thoughts.

"Oh, Rei-chan. Don't mind! It's a long story!"

Misato sat down on the ground and put Akane seated in front of her while she took the spoon out of the pot. She took a spoonful of the dense orange liquid and gave it to little girl.

"Come on, Treasure!! Open your little mouth!! Aren't you happy?? It's the Yogurt of your favorite taste! Cheese and peach!" exclaimed Mrs. Katsuragi in a joyful tone, trying to convince the baby to eat.

Akane looked at the little spoon with a menacing glare, then turned her face to the side, maimed the mouth and exclaimed, "NNO!!"

"Why not??? Give it up, Akane-chan! Don't make me waste my time! Mummy has got to work! Give it up!! Don't play games with me!!" exclaimed Misato, putting the spoon down when the little girl had turned her face.

"No, I said!!" she exclaimed again, turning again to the other side, and sticking out her tongue.

"Akaneeee...You are the reason for my exhaustion!!"

But the little pest didn't let herself be intimidated at all by her mother's words. She was staying seated, turning her back to Misato, with her arms folded and her face high. Misato had an idea, after all, she was the operative director, and who better than her could devise some strategies??

"Okay....if you don't want it, Akane, it means that this very very very very good yogurt will be eaten by Rei & I. We'll eat it all ourselves, won't we Rei-chan??" said Misato, turning towards Rei, who was still looking at the scene curiously.

Rei was surprised, then saw that Misato winked at her as a token of assent, and Rei nodded, drawing nearer.

"Eheh...*evil grin* did you see, Akane??? Very soon we will eat it all, and you will have nothing!!!

"SO EAT IT YOU!!" kept on Akane, in an imperative voice.

"..."

"Colonel Katsuragi, I guess you didn't persuade her," Rei said.

"Yeah!!...*sigh* Lucky you, Rei-chan!! You haven't the trouble of children!!"

Rei got upset for Misato's words.

After all, Misato didn't know of her pregnancy yet, therefore it was more than natural that she told her such a sentence. But, what did that sentence mean? Maybe it was better not to have children after all? What for??

"Ehm...Akane! this is your last warning! After it, I'll eat it all and I won't give you a thing! Okay??"

The little child turned to her mother, letting her see her own sulky and resolute face.

"Like I said before, you eat it!"

"......*sigh*......" Misato, disconsolate and resigned, gave a look at the pot which she kept in her hand, with a dense pale orange colored mush inside. The woman assumed a sickened expression.

*uuuughh...I hate this yogurt...Look at what I have to do...* she thought, eating, unwillingly, a spoonful. Misato, before tasting that filth, wanted to give a desperate look at her child, to see if her daughter would change her mind suddenly but the little girl, as it seemed by her expression was very impatient to see her mother swallow the snack and give her proof how good it was! Misato inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, opened the mouth and brought a spoonful of yogurt near to her mouth, and sampled it.

In the corridor there was a moment of silence: Akane looked at the scene intrigued while Rei was on the verge of bursting out with laugher. Misato was in a cold sweat, trying to swallow the yogurt, making an effort in order not to spit it out. After succeeded in her purpose, Misato tried to camouflage her sickened look, making a smile, and saying "mmmmmmhhh...that's gooood!!" she exclaimed, making a convincing smile towards her daughter. Some tiny drops of cold sweat were starting to drip down her face.

"Is it real good?" asked Akane, convinced.

"Sure is! It's very good!! Now eat it all, please!!" answered Misato, taking another spoonful, and bringing it near her daughter's mouth for a second time.

"Are you sure??" asked the child, still hesitating.

Misato nodded. "Sure, Treasure!! It's so good!!! Come on, now!!! I'm sure that after you've had a taste of it you'll want to swallow it all in one gulp!" said Misato, continuing to play her comedy in front of the little girl.

"Mmm......"

Akane-chan finally opened her mouth. Acting quickly so that Akane wouldn't have time to think it over, Misato fed her. Colonel Katsuragi was in the verge of yelling Victory, but she had no time for caressing the idea, because nothing good was promised by the grimace of the child.

"PRRRRRR!!! BLEAAACCCH!!!" exclaimed the little girl, as she spat the spoonful of yogurt, which had only just been tasted, on Misato. Misato looked at her dress, full of spots left by the yogurt.

By Rei's look someone could argue that the girl made an incredible effort in order not to burst laughing, in light of Colonel Katsuragi's misfortunes.

NOO!!!" yelled the woman after the pause of silence. "My clean dress!!!"

The child, splitting her sides laughing, fell over on her back.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...AKANEEEEEEEE!! LOOK AT WHAT YOU' VE DONE!!!" yelled Misato, irritated.

The girl, not succeeding in recovering from laughing, still laid on her back, as if in front of her it was the most amusing show in the world.

Suddenly, the lift's doors could be heard opening in the distance, and from the elevator a man stepped out slowly, dressed up in uniform, with a pony-tail and an unkempt beard, holding in his hand a bag, where one could have argued held something round.

"Are you still trying to make her eat that filth, Misato-chan?" said the man, while drawing nearer.

Rei, Misato and the child turned abruptly at the man's sentence. As soon as she saw the man who was approaching them with slow paces, Akane-chan's tiny face brightened joyfully.

"Daddy!!!!!!" yelled the child, standing up from the ground suddenly and running to her father with open arms.

"Akane!! Come back here!" exclaimed Misato, while stretching her arm out to grab her daughter, but the child ignored her mother.

"Good morning, Mister Kaji!" said Rei gently, as soon as Kaji was close enough.

"Hello, Rei-chan!" answered the man, brushing with his hand Rei's hair, as he used to do when she had been a young lady of fourteen. Rei smiled at Kaji's odd gesture. Colonel Katsuragi stood up on her feet.

"Oh Kaji-chan! Our daughter is a pest!! Asuka, with an huge effort of my will was bearable! But Akane-chan sometimes is a real rascal!! Look at what she's reduced my dress to!!" complained Katsuragi, showing Kaji the many spots that were visible over her dress.

"Please, Mummy!! Don't be so angry!! Anyway, 'Nonò' will take it to the laundry, not you!" said the little girl, trying to avoid a scolding by her mother.

"You're incorrigible, really!! And anyway, by now you are no more a child who can't pronounce the names well! His name is MAKOTO! How many times have I to repeat it to you?! Not 'Nonò'! said Misato, correcting Akane who used to call his big companion of play, Makoto Hyouga, with the odd nickname of 'Nonò'.

Kaji took in his arms her daughter, who had kept jumping, with her arms lifted to incite his father to take her up.

"Eheh...it's easy to take care of the others' sons, isn't it Misato-chan? The real problem is to take care of one's own sons!" said the man, smiling.

Misato placed a hand over her head, and bent it.

"Yeah...I hate to admit it, but that child behaves exactly the same as me when I was a little girl!"

"It isn't true!! I'm good. It's mammy who wants me to eat that filth! Bleaccckk!" said the child, in defense of herself, putting out her tongue in order to show her disgust.

"Akane-chan!! How many times shall I tell you not to say the word 'Filth'!! And then the wild boy use to make grimaces!! Good little girls don't do that!!" exclaimed Misato, reproaching the ill-bred behavior of the child.

Kaji burst out laughing, and said "Like mother, like daughter! Akane-chan, mummy's gotta reason! It doesn't sound good the word 'Filth' in a mademoiselle's mouth...and it's true! Wild boys make grimaces, and not the good girls!"

The child crossed her arms and snorted, while looking at her father with a menacing glare.

Kaji kept on smiling.

"Then...will you promise you won't drive mummy mad, and you'll be a good child? If you'll be a good child, I'll give you a big slice of watermelon! Look at it!" said Kaji, lifting the bag which he held in his hand, and showing a nice watermelon, big and green, which was inside of it.

"Ooh!! How beautiful!! The watermelon! Daddy!! Did you bring it from the kitchen garden below?" asked Akane joyfully, completely changing expression.

Kaji nodded and kept on smiling.

"I want a slice, Daddy!! Let's go and cut it!" yelled the child standing up over her father's shoulders, and leaning over his neck.

"Okay, it's okay, now we're going to cut it!! Misato-chan, Rei-chan! You're coming with us, aren't you?" said Kaji, while pointing at the lift, in order to go down to the kitchen-garden, where to cut the watermelon.

"Sure I'm coming!!" exclaimed Colonel Katsuragi. "Kaji-chan!! You're a myth!! I don't know how you do, but when Akane is with you, she becomes a little Angel! I have been spending all the morning, trying to make her eat the yogurt, and instead you, with a watermelon, are solving the problem!! You're a real myth, my little husband!!" kept on Colonel Katsuragi, drawing near to husband, and patting him over his shoulder, with a lot of praise.

"And you, Rei-chan? Please! Come with us!" said Kaji, inviting the girl.

"Oh no, I thank you a lot, but I have not much time to lose, I have to go back home right now, and cook."

"What a pity," said Misato. "Shin-chan is really lucky anyway! He's got a wife like you who prepares for him who knows how many delicious dinners! Are you spoiling him, Rei-chan?" asked Misato.

Rei nodded and blushed.

"Ehm. it's..."

"How I envy him!" said Kaji in a low voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?!?!? BE AWARE I LISTENED TO YOU!!" yelled Misato, turning irate.

"N...Nothing..."answered Kaji with an angel face.

"Daddy!! Let's go!! I want the watermelon!!" exclaimed Akane, pulling her father's hair.

"Yes, yes! We're going, Akane-chan!! But let my hair down, please!" yelled Kaji, taking his hair from the little girl's hand.

"Sorry, Rei-chan, but, as you can see, we're hurry! See you soon!" exclaimed Kaji, turning towards the opposite side of Rei.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kaji! See you soon!" cheered Rei.

"Bye Rei-chan! Take care of yourself! And give my greetings to Shin-chan !!" exclaimed Misato, lifting her harm and waving with her hand.

"Yeah, I will, Colonel Katsuragi!"

Katsuragi's family turned and set out towards the opposite corridor.

"Misato-chan, today I'm taking you out to dinner! Are you happy??" said Kaji, while walking by her wife's side.

"Why shall you take me out for dinner right today? I had prepared curry at home!!" answered Misato, sorry at the idea to have to miss her favorite dish.

"Exactly! What about having Italian Spaghetti today, instead of curry? Italian Spaghetti only in Italian restaurants! So we don't run risks..."

"In which sense!?!?! Maybe you would insinuate that one could run some risk, eating the curry prepared by me!?!??!"

"Nope!! What are you thinking about, Misato-chan??"

Rei kept on looking at that odd family walking along the corridor, with a smile on her face. She turned her sight only when the three turned the corner. The young woman with blue hair, bent her head and smiled.

*What a strange family...they're always quarreling with one another but they love one another after all...and Akane-chan...what a scamp of child...who knows if even I'll be obliged to run after them, trying to make them eat when my children'll be born.*

Rei shook her head

*Stop now, it'll be better for me to go back home. I won't go to Shinji now, to give him the notice our children are two, instead than one as we thought. I want to tell him this evening at our home, in our nest. Who knows how he'll be surprised? He never told me, but I knew that, after all, Shinji would have always wanted to have a son. But he knew he could never have one from me, so he didn't tell me, scared to hurt me, and every time we drew near this subject, he used to try an escape (via di fuga). He did it for me after all. Thank you, Shin-chan. I knew it. He likes children...And now instead...now I'll be able to please him...now. now Shinji'll have two. And I will be the one to give him them. It'll be me. I who has never had a childhood outside the laboratory where I was born. A human being born artificially. Me...it's right inside of me. A new life is bearing, or better, two lives. two children, fruit of the love between me and Shinji. *

Rei hugged to her chest the little sheets of the ultrasound, which she held in her hand, and smiled.

"Shinji,. I'll accomplish this pregnancy, first of all for you...I promise it to you. "

12:30 P.M.

"Noon has already passed." said Shinji, the brand new vice-commander, casting a look at his wristwatch while standing still on the escalator to exit Central Dogma.

Shinji became thoughtful.

*A son. Before, caught by emotion and happiness, I had not reflected over this point of view. To have a son means to become father. Then I'll become father. *

Shinji bowed his head, and his expression became suddenly sad and melancholy .

"Father," whispered Shinji in a low voice. The boy couldn't help thinking again about an event of his past childhood. Perhaps one of the worst in his life. The moment when his father left him all alone at the station in tears, to be granted in custody for legal statement to Aunt Yukio and Uncle Hayashi.

To maintain him was a burden for them. My father. Surely he was never bothered that much, as I am now, when my mother told him she was expecting a baby. As far as I have been able to establish, even nowadays, I guess he hadn't mind that much. Therefore, it should be even harder for me to become a father, than it is for the other people. Anyone knows how to behave with their sons, because they follow their parents' example and how they took care of them in childhood. But I'll never do that...I'll never follow the mean example which my father gave me. Then…how should I behave?. I'm scared. I don't want to disappoint Rei. I was not able to grasp the meaning. But I'm scared that I could disappoint her above all.*

While sorrow and insecurity could still be read on the young man's face, he lifted his head and became aware that the escalator had almost arrived to the Geofront's exit. Ikari made a step forward, and went down the elevator's stair. He took his ID card, and passed it through the slit, so that the sliding doors opened, and let him go outside.

Once Shinji was out of the Geofront, he noticed the lack of something. He turned left and right.

"There's no one!" he said, rather surprised when he found the entries and exits of the Geofront unwatched. "Where are all the guards?"

Shinji drew nearer, making some step forwards towards the outside, and the sliding doors shut themselves once again. While stepping forward and wondering where could have the guards ended up, because they usually were always watching over Geofront passages. Shinji heard some distance away some laughs and yelling, which became more and more frequent, moment after moment. Shinji turned right, and realized that the row which he heard came from the other side of Geo Front. Shinji headed towards that place with slow paces, wondering what was happening, while yelling and laughs increasing in volume as he rapidly approached. The New Vice Commander, after a while, went round the corner and finally saw almost twenty people from a distance wearing military uniforms with the Nerv mark stamped, having a good time and laughing like crazy, while drinking happily from big bottles of beer.

Shinji stood looking at the scene, confused.

"What's happening right there?" the young man asked to himself, and decided to draw nearer in order to understand something about that. Nevertheless he was amazed, trying to imagine what the guards were doing. They're usually severe and resolute men at their work. When the boy was rather near them, it didn't long for him to understand the men were having fun because of they were dead drunk.

"What's with you!? You're not allowed to have alcohol during job!!" exclaimed Shinji, trying to take an authoritative tone of voice. Those guards didn't bother to take a look at the young man, and kept on bursting out with laughter, scornfully, totally ignoring Shinji, who was looking incredulous at the scene.

Such a thing had never happened before, especially with the guards of Nerv.

"AHAH!!! BOYS!!!! HERE ICOMING MORE BEER!!!!!" exclaimed all at once a male voice behind the young man.

Shinji turned all at once, and saw in front of him the Chief-Guardian, Aida Kensuke, drawing near to the drunk guards, while holding in his hand a big bag full of bottles of beer for the guards and in the other hand a still half-empty bottle of beer, which he had taken for himself.

"Kens...er...Commander Aida!" exclaimed Shinji, surprised in seeing his friend.

Kensuke stopped laughing and looked at Shinji; he almost looked like being a little more sober than the other ones.

"SHINJI!!" yelled Kensuke, putting the bag on the ground, throwing his beer in air and jumping on Shinji, clinging to his shoulders, while all the guards gathered around him, picking the bottles from the bag, as if they were bees around honey.

"Ke. Kensuke...What are you doing!?!?! ARE YOU DRUNK!! LET ME GO!!!" yelled Shinji, while struggling free from Kensuke's grab.

"Surely I'm not drunk!! Ghhhhhh!!" exclaimed Kensuke, keeping a malicious smile. "I'm crazy for joy!!! That's even worse than being drunk!!!! AHAHAHAHAH" exclaimed Kensuke, while searching lazily through his trousers pockets.

*Has he gone crazy!?!* Shinji thought, while an enormous sweat drop was on his head.

"Where is it !?" said to himself Kensuke, recovering his composure, and letting Shinji go, in order to search through his pockets with both his hands.

"What?" Shinji asked, starting to feel sick of this act. All at once, one of many drunk soldiers drew nearer, holding in his hand, besides the bottle of beer, also which looked a crumpled photograph.

"*Ich* Thisss...*ich*. fell out...to you...*ich...CHIEEFFF! *ich*" the soldier pointed out, while handing the "portrait" to the young Chief-Guard.

"Oh!! Here it is! Thanks a lot, Soldier Ryuzaki! Keep on drinking, please!" answered Kensuke, taking the photograph from the soldier's hand.

"* ich *.... I did my duty. *ich* My Captain!...* ich*...Th.... Thanks...Ca...:Captain!. By...by the way...my name. *ich*...is Moriyama. *ich*. not...RyuzaGHi...*ich*. " answered the soldier Moriyama, while making a military salutation as best as he could, tottering from left to right, then going to drink with the other guards.

Kensuke straightened the photograph, trying to arrange the creases, and laughed to himself maliciously, while doing it, under Shinji's confused eyes. Shinji was more and more convinced that his friend had definitely drunk more than Misato-san used to during the time when Shinji still lived with her.

"Kensuke, have you finished?!" asked Shinji, while realizing the time had passed by.

"Here it is !!" Kensuke said, putting his arm around Shinji's shoulder again, bringing his face nearer to Shinji's face.

"Look here!!! Admire!" Kensuke said, bringing the very creased photograph up in front of Shinji's eyes. Shinji still confused observed the photograph which showed a baby, probably of few days, inside a cradle while still in hospital.

Who's he?" answered Shinji, not grasping the situation yet.

"Iihhhhh!! Where did you get your eyes, Shinji!?! He's obviously my son!!! Look here!! Isn't he a spitting image of his father!?!?!"

The young man was taken by surprise. He could have never expected such an answer by his old schoolmate.

"WH...WH...WHAT?!?!!? YOUR SON!?!? KENSUKE!! YOU'RE NOT MARRIED!!!" Shinji yelled in surprise.

"Then, Shinji? I'll be married within six months, I can't see the reason why you're getting so angry...How antiquated you are.... Haven't you seen how beautiful my little jewel is? He's just like his father!!" Kensuke said, coming back to look at the photograph.

"And...and...who is the mother?!?" Shinji asked, amazed at Kensuke's words.

Kensuke cast a malicious glance, and smiled passing his hand through his hair.

"Mmm. Nozomi Horaki, of course! *GRIN*"

"NOZOMI HORAKI?!?! HIKARI'S YOUNGER SISTER !?!?"

"Right. Her! We have been together for two years! You didn't know?" Kensuke asked , taking out of his pockets another photograph, a well preserved one this time, which showed him and Nozomi in swim-suits over a beach.

"But I......I had never imagined you were interested in Nozomi!" Shinji said, beginning to grasp the situation.

"Well! Of course! When we were attending school, she wasn't but an eleven year old child! But now you have to admit she has become really beautiful doll, hasn't she?!?" Kensuke said, giving nudges in sign of agreement to his friend.

"Well...yes...after all she became a beautiful girl. " Shinji said, observing the girl accurately, and agreeing with the fact that she and Kensuke made a nice pair. Kensuke nodded satisfied, then came back to look at his own son's photograph once again.

"Two days ago my sweet heart gave birth to this wonderful jewel...aaaaaaahhhhhh!! *SMACK! SMACK!* My lovely!!! *SMACK!!!*, the chief-commander said, while kissing the photograph, frenetic

*Now I can understand Kensuke's happiness. My mother!!* Shinji thought, with an enormous sweat drop over his head.

"What's his name?" Shinji asked, curious about the situation.

Kensuke looked at the sky, and proudly lifted his badge, while the sun made it shine even more.

"In the name of this badge, and of the rank of Chief of Guards, I hereby name my son with the proudness of my heart, MUSASHI! Just like the famous soldier Musashi Benkei who died staying on his feet, while being fired upon by a lot of enemy arrows!!!" yelled Kensuke in a resolute tone of voice, while the drunk guards behind him were clapping happily at his exclamation, making a racket. Shinji tried to pity them, always with his head full of sweat drops.

Some minutes later.

*Musashi...poor baby....* Shinji thought ironically, while walking slowly along the pavement of a town road full of traffic.

*I could have bet Kensuke would have saddled his son with the name of some soldier who had performed such an heroic deed, that he had been cited in a book of history.* Shinji went on, while smiling and thinking again about his ex-classmate and the guards' joy.

*Who knows what joy will be for Kensuke.... He's already imagining a future for his son...he wishes he can become a famous soldier. I'm sure, my father cared about what I became. Neither I could imagine all this, when I was a child...I couldn't imagine my life to have that importance as now, after all...I have already reached the most important thing...I'm not talking of my role at the Base as a vice-commander...Neither I'm speaking about having defeated the Angels, and having brought peace to this world. * the young man thought, remembering again the past events, having a flashback of ten years ago while looking at the indifferent behavior of people walking in the crowded street in Neo Tokyo 3

*After all.... all these people don't know who I really am. They ignore who Rei is, who Asuka is, and who my father is. For them, I'm only a twenty-four year old man, walking through town. A common citizen of Neo Tokyo-3. And it's better this way. I want it this way. I want to be considered a common person. I have never minded fame and success. I had only a target, and I reached it. The only thing really important for me is Rei. Only she and the child she'll give the birth to...and nothing more...*

End of first part

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