Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy ❯ What a Fool I Am ( Chapter 29 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The morning after for Shinji and the girls. Later Shinji pays a visit to Kaoru while Asuka and Rei go clothes shopping with Misato.

Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.09.2006 | Pages: 15 | Words: 18.5K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress

Evangelion: Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy

Author's Note: I've got a website now. At the same time I've been writing this chapter, I've been proofreading, correcting, expanding on, and various other edit-type stuff to the previous chapters and putting them up on the website. If you like this story, I think it's worth your time to check out. It also has a picture here and there to illustrate the scene… when I can find an appropriate one, that is. Heh. You can find this and more at www.lucythebeast.com Come one, come all. :-D

Required Disclaimer: Still no own. Still no money. Too evil for a conscience. I think I might just have some jelly donuts around here now, however… Enjoy and ponder on the glory of GAINAX! And stuff.

Chapter 29: What a Fool I Am

Asuka sighed and shifted as she slowly opened her eyes. A smile formed on her lips as she saw how adorable the other two pilots looked, cuddled up close to one another. She felt the presence of the boy's arm over her back as well and thought about what Misato would think if she walked in and saw both Rei and Asuka draped over the third child's chest as they slumbered. `She'd probably be green with envy. Or she'd just think we were perverts.' The German girl reasoned.

The girl's blue eyes narrowed as she considered that. What they had done and almost done the night before was fairly perverted… and that made her feel bad for all the times she had given Shinji hell for looking at her, especially because she had enjoyed the attention. She also felt guilty over how she had treated the first child, taking out her frustrations over her insecurities on the quiet girl who had just been an easy target. Asuka knew she wouldn't fight back or say anything, and she hadn't had to live with her.

The German girl reached out and gently ran a hand over Rei's pale white cheek. A moment later the girl's crimson eyes fluttered open and a gentle smile formed on her lips. “Guten Morgen. (Good morning)” Asuka greeted.

“Guten Morgen, Asuka-chan.” The blue-haired girl responded.

Asuka jerked her head slightly in the direction of their feet to indicate something of interest there. “Die Morgenlatte (Morning wood).” She said with a giggle.

Rei's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as she beheld the spectacle. “He is asleep.” She observed.

The German girl nodded slowly, unsure of where the girl was going with her train of thought. “Ja… he is.”

“He wants sex even in his slumber?” The first child inquired innocently.

The red-haired girl smiled. “He's a boy. He always wants sex.”

“That is not so.” Rei countered with a slight frown.

The second child sighed. “It's an exaggeration, Rei-chan. It wasn't meant to be totally true.” At the other girl's curious expression, she elaborated. “I don't really understand it myself but… most of the time Shinji has a boner in the morning. From what I've heard, a lot of them do.”

The red-eyed girl gave Asuka a questioning look. “Boner?”

“Ein Ständer? Hard-on? Stiffy? Morning Glory? Pitching a tent? Raising the flag? Wood? Erection? That thing right there next to your hand?” The German girl elaborated with a teasing grin.

Rei blushed and withdrew her hand from the third child's thigh. “So many names for so simple a part.” She remarked.

The second child glanced at the slumbering boy, thinking it was a good thing he was asleep. Such a statement might have damaged his male ego. “Maybe you should try again.” She suggested, with an evil glint in her eyes.

The first child stared impassively at the red-haired girl. “That would not be… appropriate. He is sleeping.”

The corner of Asuka's mouth lifted up in a devious half-grin. “I can take care of that.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to the dark-haired boy's, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Rei looked surprised, likely due to the German girl's boldness.

“Mmm…” Shinji murmured into the girl's mouth. A moment later his eyes fluttered open. “Mmmph?”

“Guten Morgen, Shinji-kun.” The red-haired girl greeted him with a luminous smile.

“Uh… good morning, Asuka-chan.” The blushing boy greeted. His dark blue eyes shifted over to Rei and a smile formed on his now moistened lips. “Good morning, Rei-chan.”

“Good morning, Shinji-kun.” Rei replied in greeting. She still wasn't quite comfortable with the polite phrases of greeting, but she was willing to learn.

“I'm glad you're so happy to see us, Shinji-kun.” Asuka teased, looking down at the tent formed in the boy's sweatpants.

The third child blushed. “It's morning! I have to pee or something…” He hastily explained.

The red-haired girl frowned. “Oh, is that all it is? Two beautiful girls curled up to you, one naked and one with barely a stitch of clothing on… and you're only excited because you want to empty your bladder. I see how it is.”

Rei looked at the German girl curiously, wondering how she teased the boy so easily, and for what purpose.

Confusion and panic played out over the blue-eyed boy's features, but then he noticed the small grin on the girl's face. `She's teasing me. She… wants me to play along? Even after last night? That… doesn't make any sense. Aren't they both disappointed in me, for failing? And my reaction afterwards?' After reminding himself of what happened, he started to feel guilty. “I'm sorry.” He stated, though he was really apologizing for the night before.

“There is no need for apology, Shinji-kun.” Rei stated, failing to comprehend why the boy was apologizing. Or perhaps she did understand what he was apologizing for but still felt it was unnecessary. Only the first child knew for sure and she would, as always, keep that to herself.

Asuka sighed. “Why can't you just tell the truth, Shinji-kun, and say you want to have sex with one of us?” She inquired, shaking her head in exasperation.

“But I… don't.” Shinji admitted shamefully. “I mean… I do… but not right now. I still feel… ah… I'm just not in the mood.”

The red-haired girl was shocked speechless. She was under the impression that guys were `always' in the mood. “Are you just saying that because of your little mishap last night? I don't think you should let that get you down. I mean…”

“Asuka-chan!” The third child interrupted, barely raising his voice. “No. Ok? Not right now.”

“Shinji-kun. You should go use the toilet.” Rei stated diplomatically, noticing the hurt and conflicting emotions in the German girl's eyes.

The blue-eyed boy nodded and leaned over to kiss the blue-haired girl before getting up. “I'll start breakfast after I'm done.” He promised as he walked out of the room.

The first child turned her curious eyes to the other girl's blue orbs and raised an eyebrow up inquisitively.

“I don't know which is worse…” Asuka explained as she shook her head. “… the fact that I just sounded like a slut begging for a fuck, or that it turns me on big time when he tells me no.”

“You did not sound like a slut, Asuka-chan.” Rei stated firmly. “Neither did you ask him to have sex with you.”

The second child shrugged. “Not technically, no. But… it's not my place to do so, anyway.”

The red-eyed girl curiously quirked an eyebrow up before asking, “Why not?”

The German girl blinked several times rapidly, astonished by the question. “Why not? Because he's your boyfriend, not mine.”

Rei shook her head slightly. “Have you asked him to give his heart to you, and to you alone?”

“No, of course not!” The blue-eyed girl protested. “I would never do that!”

“Why?” The first child inquired.

“Because he's your boyfriend!” Asuka cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

The quiet girl nodded. “That is true. However, it does not answer my question. You care for him, do you not?”

The second child glanced away with a guilty look on her face. Somehow she had fallen into a trap. `Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Is she suddenly upset by the affection I've shown him? I don't get it… she didn't seem to mind before. And she doesn't mind when I'm affectionate with her. Is it because… no. Oh god…' She rested her forehead against her palm and sighed. “I'm sorry, Rei-chan. It doesn't matter though. I told you before that I would not interfere with your relationship with him. I meant that. I just… don't want to be left alone. It would be… worse than dying.”

Rei stared at the other girl, her expression unreadable. “There is no need for apology, Asuka-chan. You have answered my question.”

The girl turned tear-stained blue eyes up to look at the other girl, confused once again. “I can't figure you out.” She stated in a whisper choked with vulnerability.

The first child considered that carefully. “What do you require, Asuka-chan?”

“I… don't understand.” The German girl replied carefully.

A brief moment of frustration played across the blue-haired girl's features. “What do you need? Right now.” It became obvious that the girl was getting at something, but she either didn't know how to express it, or it was simply against her nature to do so.

Asuka didn't know what the girl was getting at, however. “I… don't know.”

Rei stared at the other girl.

The red-haired girl looked away, the guilty look returning to her face. “I care about you too, you know.”

“Yes. You do.” The first child agreed.

“Why do you have to be…” The blue-eyed girl trailed off, frustrated. “Never mind.”

The clone of Lilith regarded the other girl curiously. “What is it you wish to know, Asuka-chan?”

“I need to know the rules here, ok? I don't like stumbling around blind. Tell me what I can and can't do. That is what I need.” Asuka stated angrily, though she didn't expect an answer.

Rei considered that before responding. “You cannot have his heart for yourself. I claim that. However, that prevents neither of you from caring for one another. You can share as little or as much of yourself with him, or with me, as you feel comfortable. You cannot force yourself upon either of us, and neither can we force ourselves upon you. Is that clear enough?”

The second child was shocked. “You actually answered my question.” She stated, with her eyes wide and mouth hanging open in surprise.

“No. I did not.” The red-eyed girl stated with a touch of a smile on her lips.

“Yes you did…” Asuka argued, but then an eyebrow rose up as she realized what the girl meant. “Oh… as in… this conversation never happened. But let me make sure I understand you perfectly… you're saying I can have sex with you both, but I can't fall in love with either of you?”

“On the contrary, you are free to love whomever you wish.” Rei corrected her.

The German girl frowned, a little offended. “So you think Shinji is capable of having sex with me and showing affection to me without ever having any love for me? I think you have a rather low opinion of him. I think it's in his nature to express love for those he cares for.”

“I did not say he could not love you. I said you cannot claim his heart for your own.” The blue-haired girl elaborated mysteriously.

Asuka hissed in frustration. “I don't see the difference.”

Rei glanced towards the direction of the kitchen. She could tell that Shinji was waiting for them patiently, but was too polite to come in and ask when they were coming out. “I will say this once, and once only. And then I will never speak of it again. I claim his heart. As long as I am the one who is most dear to him, I am happy. He may share his body with you or anyone else he chooses to. He may share his affection with you or anyone else he chooses to. He may even share some of his love with you or anyone else he chooses to, so long as he loves me still.”

The second child frowned. “Ok… I understand that. And I have no plans on interfering with his affection for you. In fact, I encourage it as much as I can. I admit I care about that silly boy more than I let on to him, but I don't think I love him the same way you do. I don't even know if I would want to if he wanted to have sex with me. I can't really know that until it comes up. My feelings are all… confused. I am seeing a psychotherapist, you know.”

Rei nodded. “I am glad that is clear now, so I expect not to be questioned on the matter further. I will say only one more thing. You will always have my affection. I cannot speak for Shinji-kun, but I believe he is being truthful when he said he would never forsake you. Whether you develop purely platonic feelings for us or if you fall in love with one or both of us, we will always care for you. You are always welcome to express your affection in any manner in which you feel comfortable. I will say no more on this matter. I am already getting a headache.”

Asuka blinked in surprise, realizing the red-eyed girl forced aside her own quiet nature because she knew it was needed, despite the conflict and turmoil it caused within the girl's psyche. `She… cares about me enough to set aside her own comfort to reassure me? Shinji… you are one lucky son of a bastard. I guess… I'm lucky too.' The red-haired girl nodded and leaned forward to embrace the other girl, sighing in happiness that she no longer had to carry around the burden of guilt and worry, which, of course, left her free to express herself freely. “I have to say… having a heart to heart talk is always more fun when the person you're talking to is naked.”

Rei raised an eyebrow questioningly. “It is the body's natural state.”

The second child nodded and grinned. “And a lovely state it is.”

The first child blushed, unaccustomed to being openly admired or praised. “Th… thank you.”

Asuka nodded. “Let's get some breakfast then.”

The red-eyed girl nodded and started getting dressed.

“Just the shirt.” The German girl requested. At the questioning look she received, she felt it best to elaborate. “Just wear the shirt, nothing else. Please.”

Rei looked down at the bra and panties in her hands for a few moments then set them back down on the floor and put on her dress shirt which was part of her school uniform. “Like this?”

Asuka grinned and nodded. “Very sexy. But one final touch…” She leaned forward to undo the top two buttons so it was open to just below the girl's breasts. “Perfect.”

The first child nodded, unsure of why the girl had requested this, but she had no reason to argue. They both walked into the kitchen to find an assortment of food laid out.

“Damn, Shinji-kun… I know we were talking a while but you sure cooked all this fast!” The German girl stated in awe.

Shinji shook his head. “I didn't make it. I just made the coffee. This was laying out when I came out here. Maybe Misato stopped by? Wait… no, because this isn't instant food…” He looked baffled.

Asuka raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the blue-haired girl, who met her gaze with a blank stare. “How… did you do that? You were asleep!”

The third child blinked and looked at the quiet girl as well. “Rei-chan? You cooked all this?”

“I woke up a few hours before you did. I was… curious to learn.” Rei admitted. “Sit, both of you.” Shinji sat immediately, remembering the girl's insistence the other day over the matter. Asuka stared at the other girl for a few moments before sitting, unsure of what was going on. The first child started placing food in bowls and on plates and set them in front of both children before fixing her own meal. “I am sorry if there was anything you wanted that I did not figure out how to cook.” She stated modestly.

The red-haired girl raised an eyebrow and watched as Shinji started eating, surprised he was so comfortable with being served. `He never even seemed comfortable with it when Misato or I cooked and served him. But then again, neither of us are very good cooks.' She mused. She tasted the scrambled eggs and frowned down at them. “You uh… never mind.” The blue-eyed girl bit her tongue to keep from criticizing the girl's novice attempt.

“Did I do something wrong? I do not eat eggs, so I had no way of knowing if they were done correctly.” Rei stated. “If you tell me what I did wrong, next time I will attempt to correct my error.”

Asuka shrugged. “Well, you overcooked them. Next time, stir them almost constantly, and take them off the heat when they're still a touch wet. They cook off the flame a little, so if you wait until they're completely done, they dry out as they sit on the plate.” Her eyes widened suddenly. “Mein Gott, I just remembered what you called these things! Don't cook eggs for me anymore, please!” The girl requested as she downed a whole cup of coffee and shivered in revulsion.

Shinji blinked in surprise. He knew the German girl loved eggs. She had either scrambled eggs or an omelet nearly every morning with breakfast. And she would often boil eggs and chop them up to add onto salad or to make sandwiches with. In fact, she loved eggs almost as much as she seemed to love pork products. “What did she call eggs?” He inquired curiously. Obviously he had already forgotten what she called them the other day, or he simply hadn't noticed.

As the first child was opening her mouth to respond, the German girl cut her off. “Don't tell him! At least one of us should still be able to enjoy them. Shinji likes those omelets the way you Japanese like to cook them. It'd break his heart if he couldn't eat them anymore.” After making sure the girl wouldn't spoil eggs for the boy, she cut into one of the sausages the girl had cooked. “Rei-chan… you didn't cook the sausage long enough.” The girl stated, staring at the uncooked pink meat in the center.

Rei frowned slightly. “The book said to cook them for seven minutes on each side. So I cooked them for exactly seven minutes on each side.”

“Seven minutes?! Only on a medium flame. It's better to cook them on low heat for at least 20 minutes, turning them every five minutes or so. And even then you should cut open the thickest one afterwards to make sure it's cooked all the way through.” Shinji explained, aghast.

“The best sausages are cooked on the lowest heat setting for twice that long… up to an hour.” The German girl added with a grin as she thought about the succulent meat.

“I am… sorry.” The first child stated softly, crestfallen.

“No need for apology, Rei-chan. I said I would teach you to cook whatever you wished to learn. It takes practice.” The blue-eyed boy informed her with a gentle smile.

Asuka grumbled. “That's easy for you to say. Your soup came out perfectly, didn't it?”

Rei silently slid her soup bowl and pickled vegetables in front of the red-haired girl.

The second child stared at the bowl with guilt playing across her face. “It's ok, Rei-chan. I'll just throw these sausages back on the stove for a few more minutes. You can eat your breakfast.”

“You have a therapy appointment. You do not have time to re-cook your meal, eat it and get ready to go. It is all right, I will go to the NERV cafeteria.” The red-eyed girl explained.

Shinji froze, feeling guilty now that he had already finished his soup. “I can make you some more miso, Rei-chan.”

“I used the last of it. You are also out of rice. And pickles.” Rei explained.

The third child slapped his hand against his forehead. “I can't keep up with buying groceries for two homes.”

Asuka chewed her lip nervously then slid the miso soup back over in front of the other girl. “I'll just grab a hotdog on the way in to the doctor's. We passed a little stand for them the other day and I wanted to try one anyway to see if that guy makes a decent frankfurter.”

The first child frowned. “But I…”

The German girl interrupted her. “Besides, I don't really care for that stuff anyway. So eat up.” Then she got up and went into the bathroom to wash up.

The red-eyed girl blinked a few times before picking up the soup bowl and sipping it. She knew it was pointless to argue further, and it wasn't in her nature to do so in the first place.

“Don't worry, Rei-chan. I'll go shopping today. And I'll cook with you next time, or you can watch me cook.” Shinji offered with a gentle smile.

Rei nodded but remained silent.

The third child stared at the girl in quiet awe, finding the shirt she was wearing particularly attractive, but he wasn't sure why. `I've seen her naked… but wow… she looks amazing like that too. I do not deserve her. She deserves someone who isn't sneaky and cowardly like I am…' His train of thought was interrupted when the girl gave him a slight smile before she started chewing on some pickles. The boy gave her a shy smile in return, forgetting what he was thinking about a moment before.

A moment later, the German girl came out of the bathroom, having foregone the post-scrub soak to save time, only using the sponge and body soap. “Rei-chan, why don't you join me and Misato-san for clothes-shopping later today?”

“I have clothes.” The blue-haired girl stated.

Shinji glanced over at the second child and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw she was naked except for a towel that she was drying her hair with. He stared and thought about how lucky he was to see two beautiful girls walk around naked… and not kill him for looking.

Asuka noticed the third child's gawk and looked at him curiously, but then a moment later she looked down and realized why his eyes were bugging out. “Pervert!” She cried, wrapping the towel around herself quickly. She sighed a moment later. “Sorry, it's not your fault. I know that.”

“I'm not complaining.” The blue-eyed boy remarked with a nervous grin, ready to run for it if that ended badly.

The second child shrugged. “It doesn't bother me really… I'm grateful for the interest. But you can appreciate the view without drooling all over the floor, you know.” She remarked with a teasing grin. Before the boy could respond she turned her attention back to the quiet blue-haired girl. “Anyway, I know you have clothes. But I saw your closet. You need more clothes. Desperately. You're wearing your school uniform over here and we don't even have school anymore! Besides, don't you want to wear something nice for Shinji when he takes you out?”

Rei quirked an eyebrow up. “He is taking me out?”

Shinji glared at the German girl. `So much for the surprise.'

“Well… uh… eventually, I'm sure. I mean, he is your boyfriend, you know.” Asuka stated quickly to cover her slip-up.

“I am sure that when he desires to take me out, he will either ask me ahead of time, or at least ask his father so that I am not busy that particular night.” The red-eyed girl stated cryptically.

“Busy with what? Your Eva's kaputt (it means the same thing as kaput in English).” A moment later the girl narrowed her blue eyes suspiciously. “They're not trying to make you the new pilot for Unit 02, are they?”

Rei wasn't sure how to respond. She did not lie, but she couldn't very well tell the girl about the top secret projects she was involved in. “Not that I am aware of.” She responded truthfully.

“Then what would you be busy with?” Asuka inquired. She wasn't as accepting and reserved as Shinji, so she had no problems asking.

The first child considered how to respond. This was one of the reasons why she so rarely talked, because she didn't lie and often could not tell the truth. She settled on a compromise. “Commander Ikari is my guardian. We… spend time with one another, sometimes. Usually I know ahead of time when I will be with him, but sometimes I do not.”

“So blow the old man off if you have plans with Shinji-kun! He can glare menacingly at you any day!” The second child protested, ignoring how pale the blue-eyed boy became.

Rei's eyes narrowed angrily and she got up and started walking towards the girl, intent on slapping her just as she did so long ago when the young Ikari had spoken ill of his father. Perhaps before she knew what the commander was attempting to accomplish, she would have accepted the girl's words ever since she had grown distant from the man and closer to his son, but now…

“Asuka-chan!” Shinji cried suddenly, desperate to avert the confrontation between the girls before it started. When both of them looked his way, he tried to think of something to say. Then an idea came to him. “Ah… it's getting late. You don't want to be tardy, right?”

The red-haired girl looked up at the clock. “Scheiße!” She exclaimed, dropping her towel and running into her room to get some clothes.

Rei turned her curious eyes towards the boy, whom had brought his hand up to the cheek the girl had slapped so long ago, still remembering the sting and surprise he felt that day.

A few moments later, Asuka came out wearing her favorite yellow sundress. She paused for a moment and looked at the first child as she pulled on her shoes at the door. “Oh, you never told me whether you'd join us for shopping. Come on, it'll be fun!”

The red-eyed girl glanced at Shinji for a few moments, but he only gave her an encouraging smile so she turned her attention back towards the other girl. “I will join you, if that is your desire, Asuka-chan.”

“Wunderbar! (Wonderful!)” The second child flashed the girl a grin then waved. “I'm off, then!”

It wasn't until after the girl had left that the third child realized something. `She gave all her money to me to pay for the stuff she wrecked. How is she going to buy a hotdog for breakfast?' He wondered.

As Asuka rode a bike into town, wishing she could drive, she groaned as her stomach grumbled angrily at her. “I'm so hungry!!!”

*************************

Kaoru was sitting on a comfortable armchair with his feet propped up on a coffee table in front of him, listening to Wagner's `The Flying Dutchman'. A smile graced his lips as his eyes remained closed. “Yes… yes I can see it! Oh, you Lilim make such beautiful heartfelt music…”

Ritsuko, on the other hand, was in an equally comfortable armchair, but she was resting her chin on her palm and staring off into space and completely bored. She had no problems with classical music, or music in general, but she usually only listened to it when she was working on a complex equation or simply trying to decompress after a hard day of work. And usually it was in a hot bath with scented candles. But this angel was listening to it almost nonstop, going from one composer to the next and often listening to the same opera over and over again. It was… irritating.

“Do you not have music where you come from?” The doctor inquired.

“In a sense.” The silver-haired angel replied as his finger moved as if he were a conductor leading the orchestra.

“How so?” Dr. Akagi inquired. She had learned a lot about angels already, after she discovered that she only had to ask the questions in the right way, usually very specific inquiries.

Kaoru shrugged. “It's difficult to explain. We communicate telepathically, normally only with emotions and concepts. But we also share the beauty of our souls, which I can only explain to you as music.”

The blonde doctor raised an eyebrow, curious about what that might be like. “Is that what the 15th angel was doing? Attempting to communicate with Soryu?”

The red-eyed boy shrugged again. “Possibly. She might have just been saying hi. Or she might have been attempting to understand her little brothers and sisters that struggled so valiantly in a manner which we previously deemed as futile. When we all chose to eat of the fruit of life and your ancestors ate of the fruit of knowledge, we thought they were idiots. It seems as though you made the correct decision… brief lives like mayflies, traded for the very knowledge of the universe. Amazing.”

Dr. Akagi was baffled by the statement. “You sound as if you expect to be defeated.”

`I've already been defeated twice.' Kaoru thought to himself. “I simply admit it as a possibility. After all, all my other brethren who chose to seek Adam have failed.” Just as the doctor was opening her mouth to ask another question, he put his finger up. “Wait, someone is coming. You may want to hide, unless you wish to be discovered here.”

“Shit!” Ritsuko swore, gathering up her various personal items and hurrying down into a bunker beneath the house.

The silver-haired angel looked towards the door as he telekinetically moved a chest over the hatch in the floor leading down to the shelter. A few moments later, a knock sounded on his door. He casually strolled over to the door and opened it, not surprised in the least to see the third child giving him a shy and friendly smile. “Good afternoon, Shinji-kun. It's a pleasure to see you.”

“Good afternoon, Kaoru-kun. I was going to go pick up some groceries and I decided to stop by here first to pay you a visit. I hope that's all right?” Shinji inquired politely.

“Of course, you're welcome here any time. I was just listening to music. Have you heard this piece?” Nagisa inquired.

The blue-eyed boy listened to the music for a few moments. “Wagner, right? Uh… the Flying Dutchman? I was supposed to start learning this piece on my cello, but that was before I had to come here to be a pilot.” He replied, succeeding for the most part in hiding the conflicting emotions over that fateful decision.

“It reminds me of the Lilim… an endless struggle to succeed in the face of insurmountable odds, fueled only by determination and refusing to ever give up.” The silver-haired angel commented with a mysterious smile.

“I… suppose you're right.” Shinji responded, wondering if Asuka was right when she said he was strange.

The red-eyed boy smiled and gestured for the other pilot to come in. “Please, feel free to venture into my domain, Shinji-kun. I'm guessing you didn't come here to talk about music theory.”

The third child blushed and shrugged. “Well, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about, but I also just wanted to see you.”

Kaoru nodded and turned the volume of the music down low enough that it was just background noise and indicated the arm chair that Dr. Akagi had formerly occupied. “Have a seat and make yourself comfortable then. What's on your mind, Shinji-kun?”

The blue-eyed boy sat down and paused for a moment, wondering where the smell of perfume was coming from. `It smells kind of like… Dr. Akagi?' A touch of a frown formed on his lips before he shook the anger off. “Well… I know you said you just met Ayanami when you came here to Tokyo-3… but do you know of her at all? I mean… you said you were her older brother.”

The fifth child gave the other boy an odd smile. “Well, yes, I suppose you could say that. You may know her better than I do, but if you have a question, I may be able to answer it.”

Shinji nodded. “Well… to be honest, she confuses me. When I asked to court her, she agreed. She even seemed happy about it, you know? But… at the same time she's telling me she doesn't mind whom I share my body with… she almost seems to be encouraging it, which doesn't make any sense to me. Also, she seems to be interested in Soryu-san as well. I am at a loss with how to feel about this.”

Kaoru considered that for a few moments before responding. “Do you feel she cares about you less because of the affection she gives to Soryu-san?”

The third child shook his head. “No… and I don't really have a problem with it… except I can't figure out if she's trying to decide between us, or if she just doesn't comprehend jealousy and territorial instincts. I mean… it may be nice at first but… won't it eventually cause problems? Someone might start feeling they aren't getting their fair share of attention. Or… I don't know. I don't know what to do or think here.”

The silver-haired boy nodded, understanding the boy's confusion somewhat, with an outsider's point of view. “If you were affectionate with someone else, other than Ayanami-san… would you care about her less?”

The blue-eyed boy shook his head emphatically. “No! Of course not! I don't think anything could make me stop loving her.” He paused for a few moments as he realized what he had just said. “I mean… stop caring about her.” He hastily corrected.

Kaoru smiled in amusement. “Why do Lilim have such a hard time admitting how much you love one another? Why is love such a hard word and concept to accept?”

Shinji shrugged. “I don't know. It's not a word I want to throw around lightly. Besides, it's hard to open your heart to someone. It takes time and trust. And that's difficult… especially for me. I've been betrayed before… more than once. It's not something I ever want to experience again.”

The red-eyed angel glanced away for a few moments so the other boy wouldn't see the guilt that crossed his fair features. “Sometimes someone doesn't have a choice in the matter. It's not always done out of malicious intent, but rather a hard choice between two evils. When trust and love are given, sometimes they are betrayed unintentionally by serving a higher purpose.”

“That's bullshit.” The third child argued, thinking of his father's repeated betrayals. “If you truly love somebody and respect who they are, you don't betray them just because it inconveniences you.”

They both fell silent for a while. Kaoru couldn't say anything on the matter because he had betrayed Shinji's trust in a former life once already and would do it again in this one. As for the young Ikari, he didn't have anything else to say on the matter because he didn't want to talk about the examples of when his trust had been betrayed by his father. And, in the most secret depths of his heart he felt betrayed by his mother as well, for abandoning him by dying.

The silence was uncomfortable, however, so the young Ikari decided to change the subject. “Kaoru-kun… have you ever… ah…” The boy paused as he blushed. “Um… had sex?”

The silver-haired boy laughed, though it was friendly and not derisive. “No, Shinji-kun. I have not. Are you asking me to have sex with you? I think that would only add to your confusion.”

The third child's eyes widened in surprise and panic. “What?! No! No, definitely not! I only asked because… well… ah… I wish Kaji-san were around so I could ask him about this. But I haven't seen him… I think something might have happened to him, because Katsuragi-san has been moping around a bit… and Soryu-san seems to sense something is wrong as well.”

The red-eyed angel raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “So if he were around, you would ask him to have sex with you? I'm not sure that's the best way to get experience in the matter, Shinji-kun.”

“No! It's not like that!” Shinji protested in a panic. `Asuka-chan is right… he isstrange.' The boy thought to himself. “Ah… I only asked because… well… I had a little bit of a mishap. Ah…” He turned bright red. `Why did I even bring this up? I can't even talk about it.'

“A mishap?” The fifth child inquired.

The blue-eyed boy sighed and covered his face with his hands as he elaborated. “Ah… I kind of… finished before I started.”

Kaoru nodded, understanding the other boy's predicament now. “Ah… so you were attempting to have sex with my little sister, and your body got ahead of itself. I see.”

The third child's eyes widened in fear. `Oh shit… why do I keep forgetting he's Rei-chan's older brother!?' He asked himself as he thought about how much of an idiot he was. “Ah… I'm sorry.”

The silver-haired angel laughed. “I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, Shinji-kun. Ayanami-san must have been rather… surprised.”

`I want to run away. I want to crawl under a rock and disappear. I want the world to forget I ever even existed…' The young Ikari thought to himself as he sank further down into the cushions of the armchair.

“I'm not trying to embarrass you, Shinji-kun. Why did you want to ask me about this?” Nagisa inquired curiously.

Shinji sighed and looked out the window, possibly planning his escape route. “I'm just trying to figure out why it happened… and if I can avoid it in the future. Ah… not that I'm in a rush. I mean… I can't talk about this with you. Ayanami is your sister!”

“And this makes me unqualified to give you advice? Or is it because I am not experienced as I assume Kaji-san is?” The fifth child questioned.

“No, not unqualified.” The blue-eyed boy responded. “Just… I don't want you to think I'm being disrespectful of Ayanami. I care about her and her feelings. If she weren't willing and ready to do that sort of thing with me, I'd never try to pressure her into it.”

The silver-haired boy nodded. “I see. Perhaps it is you who is not ready? Perhaps this was your body's way of telling you that the timing wasn't right.”

Shinji considered that. “That… may be so. It was like a dream come true but… all it really did was make me nervous. Maybe it wasn't the right situation… or it was happening too soon. I don't know.”

“You said it was hard for you to open up to someone. I think maybe that is especially true if it is with someone you love. Because though others may judge you, it is her opinion of you that matters most to you, is it not?” Kaoru pointed out.

“Yes, that's true.” The young Ikari replied with a nod.

The last angel nodded as well. “Then my advice, however biased and uninformed it may be, would be to wait until it felt like the right time.”

The third child nodded, blushing again as he reminded himself once again that he was talking about this with his girlfriend's brother. “Hai… you're probably right.” He glanced up at the clock and jumped up immediately. “Oh! I'm sorry, Kaoru-kun, but I need to go! I still have to go grocery shopping and get home before it gets too late. I may have to cook dinner. I'm not sure what the girls' plans are yet.”

Kaoru nodded and stood up to see the boy out. “Of course, don't let me keep you. Drop by any time, Shinji-kun. It's always a pleasure to see you.”

Shinji nodded and bowed quickly as he left. “Thank you! I'll try to stop by again soon. Feel free to come by Misato-san's… the girls would probably appreciate a phone call first to let us know you're coming though. They wouldn't want to be caught… unaware, you know? I'm sorry.”

The silver-haired boy laughed and nodded. “It's ok. I understand completely. See you soon, Shinji-kun.”

The blue-eyed boy nodded as he responded. “See you, Kaoru-kun.” He then hurried off so he could get groceries before it started getting dark.

Kaoru waited until the third child was out of sight before he moved the chest away from trapdoor that led down to the shelter that the doctor was waiting in, rather impatiently and nervously. “You can come out now, Akagi-sensei.”

The bottle-blonde doctor climbed out from the shelter and looked out the door, though the young Ikari was no longer in sight. “So Little Shinji came in his pants when he was trying to pop that little doll's cherry, huh? That's hilarious. Like father, like son.”

The silver-haired angel chuckled and sat back down in his chair, using his powers to turn the volume back up on the music. He looked at the track listing to figure out what song was playing. “Oh… Ride of the Valkyries. This sounds intriguing.”

Ritsuko sighed and plopped back down in her chair. She hated this song… it was played all the time during finals week in her university. “Which brings up something I was going to ask before that little… boy interrupted us. You mentioned that when you `share the beauty of your souls', it was like what we consider music. Could you elaborate on that?”

Kaoru was silent for several minutes as he considered how to explain it, but words were insufficient. “I can't explain it with words. I guess it's sort of like if you hear a very emotional piece and you empathize with it? It doesn't quite do it justice, though.”

Dr. Akagi considered that then raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “Could you do it with a human? If so, would you try it with me? I'd like to know what it's like, in the interests of science, of course.”

The red-eyed boy smiled at the doctor. “Are you sure, Akagi-sensei? It could be quite… moving. Possibly even traumatic for you.”

“What do I have to lose? I've spent my entire career trying to understand angels and what was made from angels. As long as I can learn more, I want to. No, I need to. Would you share yourself with me, Tabris? Please?” Ritsuko requested, eager to add the experience to her repertoire of knowledge concerning angels.

Kaoru nodded and turned the music off. “Brace yourself. It might be rather… startling.” After receiving the doctor's nod, he started singing and a beam of light shot out from his chest and enveloped the scientist across from him.

Dr. Akagi's eyes widened in a mix of horror and reverence. “Stop!!!” She cried, tears spilling out of her eyes like droplets of rain falling from the sky. “God in heaven… stop!”

The light vanished and the silver-haired boy quirked an eyebrow up inquisitively. “That bad, huh?”

Ritsuko sobbed openly into her hands and shook her head. “No… how can anything be that… beautiful and loving? Good god… what have we done?!”

Tabris smiled gently at the weeping doctor and shook his head. “That is the sound of my soul, Akagi-sensei. It is quite similar to what I hear when I speak to a Lilim. Yes, even you, good doctor. I have not yet encountered a soul that was not beautiful in its own way… and I hope I never do. Whether one species deserves to live more than another should not be decided by something like this.”

“How can you be so… forgiving?! After everything we've done?! After everything I've done?!” The doctor demanded in a hysterical yell.

The fifth child shrugged nonchalantly. “It's a simple choice, Akagi-sensei. You can have fear and loneliness, or you can have love and forgiveness. To be honest, many of my kind made the same choice as you Lilim. Don't judge their merit by examining me. I have always been… different, even before your people gave me a vessel of flesh to inhabit for a time.”

“I need… I need to process this for a while.” Ritsuko stated, rubbing her temples as she attempted to do just that.

Kaoru nodded. “Of course. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere… for now.”

*************************

“It's normal for teenagers to experiment with their sexuality.” Asuka stated in a mocking tone as she approached Misato's apartment. “Danke vielmals, Herr Doktor Offensichtlich! (Thank you very much indeed, Doctor Obvious!)” The German girl growled out. “Who gave that guy his credentials, a cereal box?”

She took a few deep breaths to calm the anger boiling in her gut over the perceived condescending tone in the therapist's voice that day before she entered the apartment. “I'm home!” The red-haired girl called out. She frowned when she heard no answer as she kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room. She quirked an eyebrow up at Rei, whom was simply sitting on the coach reading one of Misato's trashy romance novels. “I said… I'm home, Rei-chan.”

“Yes, that is quite obvious, Asuka-chan.” The first child replied calmly before turning the page.

The blue-eyed girl sighed and walked up in front of the other girl and knelt down until she was eye level with her. “You're really going to have to learn to say `welcome home', Schätzchen (sweetie pie).” The second child commented before planting a sweet kiss on the quiet girl's lips.

The red-eyed girl tilted her head slightly to the side inquisitively a few moments before realizing what she did wrong. “I'm sorry. Welcome home, Asuka-chan.”

Asuka nodded and lied down on the coach, resting her head on the blue-haired girl's lap. “Wo ist Meister Unbesiegbar? (Where is Master Invincible? Or Captain Invincible if you prefer.)

Rei looked down at the second child. “To whom do you refer, Roten Teufel (Red Devil)?”

The German girl smirked up at the other girl. “Shinji-kun, of course. And it's Roter Teufel, by the way.”

“I believe he is procuring groceries.” The first child responded before inquiring “Why is it Roter? I said your nickname after the question.”

“Ja, but this case Red Devil is the subject because it's a direct address, and to whom is the object. As in `To whom do you, Red Devil, refer to?' Otherwise it would sound like you were guessing I was talking about someone named Red Devil. I assume you were referring to me with that nickname, Eisprinzessin? (Ice Princess)” The red-haired girl inquired with a teasing grin on her lips.

Rei quirked an eyebrow up inquisitively. She thought water would be more appropriate than ice, but kept that to herself.

Asuka smiled up at the blue-haired girl. “Misato-san should be here soon. Give me a kiss before she gets here, please.”

The first child brushed her fingertips lightly over the other girl's cheek and bent over while raising her knees to lift the German girl's head up within range. Their lips met in a tender kiss which only lasted about two seconds before the front door opened and they heard the major announcing that she was home.

“She really has some terrible timing.” The second child complained as she sat up. “Welcome home!” She called out a moment later.

Misato wandered in and immediately grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, opened it up, downed the whole can, then tossed it in the rubbish bin where it immediately bounced out and hit the floor. She opened up a second can and sat down next to the red-haired pilot. “My eyes almost melted out from all that paperwork! I think I should dump it all in Ayanami's lap, since she's the cause of it.” The purple-haired beauty griped. Then she looked over and paled when she saw the quiet girl staring at her. “Oh… hello Ayanami-san. I ah… didn't see you there.”

“Welcome home, Katsuragi-shousa.” Rei responded softly, choosing not to comment on the older woman's frustrations.

“I'm ah… surprised to see you here.” The major commented, looking pointedly at the blue-eyed girl. `I thought Asuka-chan hated her? Suddenly they're best of friends? It was strange enough when she stayed overnight the other day, with Asuka-chan no less, but now… they're looking quite cozy. What in the world have I missed?' She wondered.

“She's going to join us for clothes-shopping, Misato-san. If you saw her closet, you would understand the absolute necessity of such a venture.” Asuka informed her, waving her hands expressively as she talked.

“I have clothes.” The first child stated.

“She has a few school uniforms, a single set of casual clothes, and that's basically it.” The German girl argued, turning to stare at the blue-haired angel. “How any girl survives with so few clothes is beyond me. She doesn't even own a dress! Not one single dress! Can you believe it?” She inquired, turning to face the major.

Misato blinked. She had planned the little shopping expedition so she could covertly find out how the second child was doing psychologically, but now that would either be more difficult… or less if she could observe how the two pilots interacted. “Well… I don't really have the money to pay for clothes for all three of us.” She informed them, attempting to refuse the guest politely.

“I do not require your funds for my possessions, Katsuragi-shousa.” Rei stated. Secretly she was a little offended that the major assumed she was a free-loader, though she would never give voice to such a thing.

The purple-haired woman covertly hid her dismay. The quiet red-eyed girl just… creeped her out. Dealing with her oft self-sacrificing behavior as a pilot was problematic enough, but spending time with her in a casual atmosphere? It had been uncomfortable enough when she took the pilots out for a ramen meal as a `treat'. “Well, if you really want her to come along, Asuka-chan…” Thus the major delegated responsibility for the decision to the red-haired girl.

“I invited her, didn't I?” Asuka retorted. She glanced at the other pilot for a moment before adding, “We're ready to go whenever you are, Misato-san.”

The major sighed and finished off her beer. “All right. Let's go then.”

They made their way down to the street, Rei following silently behind the other two women, then got into Misato's convertible. Asuka hopped immediately into the front with Misato while the blue-haired girl calmly opened the door to the rear and sat down before closing it back up, not jumping over the door as the German girl had done.

Misato glanced up at the first child a few times through the mirror as they drove into town, finding it disturbing how the girl was just silently staring off to the side, watching the buildings roll by. “So… Ayanami. How has your recovery been?”

“No problems to report.” Rei replied in a soft monotone.

The major glanced up at her through the rear-view mirror, expecting more to her answer, though she wasn't sure why since she knew how the girl talked. “Ok… but what's your current status? You were badly hurt when your Eva blew up, but I don't see any bandages.”

Asuka turned in her seat and looked at the red-eyed girl, realizing that she hadn't so much as a scratch when she saw the girl without any clothes on. “Yeah, Misato-san is right. I heard you were pretty banged up.”

“I have healed sufficiently from my wounds.” The blue-haired girl responded. She couldn't say more than that, because she would either be revealing classified information, or she would be lying. And she would do neither. She realized that she probably should have worn the bandages for at least another week or two, but that would have been made pointless due to the second child seeing her in the nude.

“So… you weren't as badly injured as the doctors said you were?” Major Katsuragi inquired skeptically.

The first child frowned slightly. `Why won't she just drop the subject? She's interrogating me with no cause.' She couldn't think of a response that would be both truthful and would not reveal information about her angelic heritage, which she was specifically ordered to never divulge to the major, likely due to the woman's intense hatred towards the creatures. She noticed the major's eyes fixing on her through the mirror and knew she was waiting for a response as patiently as she could. Rei looked at the second child, wishing the other girl would suddenly decide to change the subject.

Asuka quirked an eyebrow up, noticing the almost pleading look in the other girl's crimson eyes and wondered why she wouldn't, or couldn't respond. “So where has Kaji been, Misato-san?” She asked, deciding she cared more about the quiet girl's feelings than she did about the answer to Misato's question.

The purple-haired beauty blinked as the subject suddenly shifted and got nervous as she glanced over at the German girl. “Ah… he's… ah… I don't know. You know how he is… he travels a lot for his work. He's probably flirting with some local girls right now and not even thinking about us, knowing him.” She responded quickly.

The red-haired girl made a skeptical noise but dropped the subject, taking a moment to glance back at the first child with a look that suggested `You're off the hook.'

“Shit!” Misato cursed suddenly, pulling to a stop in front of one of the shops. “This one is closed too. The rest of the clothing stores were in the blast radius. Now what are we supposed to do?”

“The lock is broken.” Rei stated.

The major turned in her seat to fix her eyes on the first child. “What makes you think that?”

`Because I just broke it.' The red-eyed girl thought to herself. “It is a hypothesis. It will only take a moment to verify whether it is correct or not.” It technically wasn't a lie. Until they physically checked the door, she couldn't be 100 percent sure that she actually did break the lock with her powers.

Asuka noticed the major about to start another interrogation routine with the poor girl so she distracted the woman by jumping out of the car. “I'll check it.” She explained as she walked towards the shop. She pulled open the door and smiled at them. “It looks like it's open for business, ladies.”

Misato turned back towards the blue-haired girl. “How did you…” She trailed off as she noticed the girl was already getting out of the car and heading towards the shop. “I can't stand that girl…”

All three wandered around the store, picking up the occasional item of clothing to either try on or keep. After selecting a number of clothing items that she thought would especially compliment her figure, Asuka walked around until she found the first child. “Oh no… that is all wrong, Rei-chan!” The girl exclaimed, setting aside her own selections to pull the items in Rei's hands out and tossed them aside. “You have absolutely no fashion sense, do you?”

The red-eyed girl blinked in surprise. “What was wrong with what I had selected?”

The German girl picked up one of the articles of clothing and shook it. “This looks like something a grandmother would wear… who also happened to be blind! And this one… it looks like it was left in the sun too long.”

“But they are sufficient for dressing me, which is important because people are modest about such things.” Rei argued as she started to reach for the clothes to retrieve them.

The second child shook her head and tossed the unattractive clothes off to the side again. “Nein. I'll select some garments that are… prettier.” She looked through the clothes and looked closely at one then over at the first child. “What's your size?”

The blue-haired girl blinked.

“Never mind. This one looks like it'll fit you.” Asuka stated, holding a sky-blue low cut blouse up to the other girl's chest.

The first child nodded and took the shirt and watched curiously as the other girl passed a fairly large number of shirts that would have been perfectly appropriate in her own estimation. When a particular shirt was lifted out, however, she protested. “Not that one.”

The German girl blinked in surprise. “Why not? I think it would look great on you. It'd compliment your eyes.”

“I… dislike the color red.” Rei admitted. `Actually, I hate it.'

The second child sheepishly put the shirt back and moved on. “What's wrong with red?” She inquired, though what she was really asking was `What's wrong with me? My hair is red. My favorite color is red. A lot of my clothes are red. My Eva is red. I may as well bered which means she hates me.'

The crimson-eyed angel considered the question, but no real answer came to her. “I do not know. I just… dislike it.” She noticed the subtle changes in the other pilot's body language and wondered why she had become so closed off all of the sudden. “It… does not suit me.” She finally offered. It was true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Even she did not know what the whole truth of the matter was. She reasoned that it must stem from her former life, for she could not remember any reason why she hated the color red, other than the fact that it reminded her of blood.

Asuka approached with another shirt and held it up to the first child then shook her head. “Too pale for this one.” She started looking through clothes again and looked at the blue-haired girl curiously. “Why are you so pale, anyway? I mean I've seen pale Japanese people before, but usually not as pale as you.” In her thoughts she added to that statement. `And other than that fifth child creep, I've never seen anyone with red eyes before.'

“I… do not know.” Rei admitted honestly. She looked at the shirts that the other girl brought over, not seeing why those particular ones were acceptable when the ones she chose were not.

“Let's see… dark blue… definitely. Light purple… acceptable… black… oh yes. Here, hold these.” The German girl placed a number of colored shirts into the blue-haired girl's arms and started looking through pants and skirts, selecting a number of them that would match the shirts. “We definitely need to see you in a pair of jeans.” She paused when she picked up a pair of black leather pants and started drooling, but the size was too large. “Damn… these would fall off you. And drag the floor. They'd fall off me too. Maybe Misato-san would like them.” She gazed over the racks and noticed the busty major was grumbling about how none of the dresses she was trying on would fit her because they weren't roomy enough in the chest. She snickered and made a remark about melons and moved on to the junior dress sizes. “Try this one on, Rei-chan.” She requested, handing a slinky black dress to the first child.

Rei set the garments in her arms down and took the dress, and immediately started removing her clothing.

Misato walked up and froze when she saw what the blue-haired girl was doing and noticed that the second child had a similar surprised expression on her face. “Uh… Ayanami? There are changing rooms, you know.”

The red-eyed girl gave the major a quizzical look before dropping the last of her clothes. “This area has sufficient room to change clothes in, Katsuragi-shousa.” She remarked before starting to slide the dress on.

Asuka shrugged at the purple-haired beauty and helped straighten the dress and nodded. “Bildschön… (Ravishingly beautiful)” She remarked in appreciation.

“How about this one?” Misato inquired, holding up a rather slutty looking dress.

The German girl scowled at the selection. She decided for once to be tactful. “Shinji-kun wouldn't like that one.”

“Why not?! There's nothing wrong with showing a little skin.” The major protested.

“Where is the rest of the dress?” Rei inquired innocently.

The purple-haired woman scowled and set the dress back. “Fine. How about a kimono?”

The blue-eyed girl smiled. “Oh… Shinji-kun would love that. He'd probably ask you to marry him the moment he saw you in one of those!”

The first child quirked an eyebrow up curiously and followed the two as they made their way to the kimono section. She nodded, agreeing with the choice when they held up a dark blue kimono with a light blue flower motif. Blue was her favorite color, and it would compliment her hair.

“Now for the matter of the dress you'll wear whenever you and Shinji-kun go out on a date.” Asuka commented, looking through the evening gowns.

“This dress is not sufficient?” Rei inquired, looking down at the black dress she was still wearing.

“That's a cocktail dress, sweetie.” Misato informed her.

The first child blinked.

“Semi-formal. An afternoon dress. Whatever you want to call it. If that Dummchen (silly boy) knows what's good for him, he'll take you out on a date that requires a more… elegant dress.” The second child elaborated, picking up a lacey semi-transparent purple dress. “I like this one. It's classy, but at the same time, very sexy.”

The red-eyed girl looked down at the dress which the other girl was holding against her. “Might I be cold in such a dress?” She inquired.

“If you're lucky.” The major commented with a playful smirk.

At the blue-haired girl's curious expression, Asuka explained. “Let's just say if you were a little cold, you might be a bit more… perky. In certain areas. Certain areas that Shinji-kun would like very much to be perky. But… given how hot it usually is, I doubt you'll get that cold.”

Rei remained silent. She had no idea what they were talking about, but realized she likely wouldn't even if she asked about it, so she didn't bother.

“Do you have any jewelry, Ayanami?” Misato inquired.

“Jewelry?” The first child questioned.

Asuka and the major looked at each other for a moment before saying what was on both of their minds at the same time. “Jewelry store!”

*************************

As I said above in the Author's note, you can find this story on my website, www.lucythebeast.com, in its “Ultimate” form. I'm kind of working both forwards and back… I have the first few chapters edited and illustrated, and this chapter will be as well. The last few chapters won't require much editing so they'll go up quickly, and I'll still be working on editing and putting up the earlier chapters. Eventually, the two will meet and they'll all be up. Haha. Next chapter: Sexiness abounds! No more needs to be said. haha