Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ A Reunion of Friends ❯ Living Arrangments ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimers:
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc., are
property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine.
This story takes place 5 years after Third Impact with flashbacks as well.
Also, I have yet to see if I will continue this with more chapters.
The types of reviews will determine the continuation of this story as long
as they are constructive. Flamers need not apply!
Some characters are a bit OOC as they have matured and grown since ThirdImpact.
I do need Pre-readers if I continue as well. Hope you enjoy!
• Yes It's after Christmas, but I'm posting it none the less.
**** Special Thanks go to Andre Laval for Pre-reading this story! ****

A Reunion of Friends

Chapter #6: Living Arrangements

Who is this mysterious benefactor, and how are these four friends going to handle living in close quarters
with a baby there, one coming, Asuka's mood swings,
and a new danger that threatens them all.
The trip home on the train was different in that the cars were double-deckers.
Like the commuter trains, there were two decks for each car,
but since this was a passenger train,
the upper deck consisted of cabins, while the lower deck were like the commuter
trains with 4 rows of seats.

So, per Misato's influence and orders, the four ex-pilots were given a whole car to themselves.
While Shinji and Rei were self conscious about having the whole car to themselves,
Asuka and Touji were having a ball.
You see all the train cars have to have a shower, a game room, and a dining salon.
Also the center two cabins were covered with see through titanium plexiglas.
so you had horizon to horizon view of either side of the train.

For most of the trip the four former Children made use of the dining salon and
the game room as they treated it as a mini vacation.
Touji and Asuka, even eight months pregnant, was going like gangbusters in the game room.
She mainly used the VR games and the shooter games against Touji,
and to a much lesser extent Shinji and Rei.

Shinji spent most of their time staying in their cabin, and enjoyed the view from the observation cabins.
As the trip continued the UN security detail (still called Section 2 by the way)
didn't let anyone nor anything in the cabin except those designated transport employees.
Even with that the children's self appointed guardian was nearby as they made their way back to Kyoto-2.

_______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________

A Night's Discussion

As the second night rolled on Shinji was having problems sleeping again.
He made his way to the dining salon where a small bar was kept for them and got himself a saké bottle
and made his way to the observation cabin.
He leaned on the railing on the edge where the plexiglas met the body of the train.
He slowly sipped the saké as he observed the darkend landscape as the train rushed passed.
The only sounds were the train's mechanisms and the Section 2 agents walking past.
Then another set of steps made their way to the observation cabin.

As the sliding glass door opened, in walked the former Second Child smiling at him..
"How you doing my Baka Shinji," Asuka greeted as she walked up next to her former room mate.
"Hey, why are you up so late, Asuka?" She patted her enlarged tummy and answered.
"My little ones kept me up and so I thought a little walking would help." (She then pointed to her feet.)
"But, I got sore ankles instead."
(Huh, did she say "Little Ones"? No, I must be must be hearing things!
I must be tired too! Wow, her ankles sure a swollen. I'd better massage them.)
"Here, sit down and I'll massage them," he then guided his red headed friend to one of the seats in the cabin
and they sat down next to each other. After handing his saké bottle to Asuka,
he then gently took her slippers off and began to knead first one ankle, then the other.
Asuka then let out a heavy sigh as Shinji continued to massage her ankles.
"Damn, now I remember one of the things you were good at when we lived together."
"Yeah, I remember how you and Misato used to fight over who's ankles and feet I had to massage first."
Shinji then laughed some more at some of the memories that this brought back.
"If I remember correctly, that's how I got out of some of the chores around the house."
"Yeah baka, no wonder I almost always had dish panned hands," said Asuka.
"But, your feet were happy. I think that was a good trade off," replied Shinji.
"I, oohhhh agree. Hmmm, god that feels so good," answered Asuka leaning back on the seat.
"You know you should teach Touji to do this my baka."
"If I know Touji, he'll insist that you need to learn too Asuka."
"Yeah, I figured he'd want his chance to feel good too. Ok, teach us both baka Shinji."
"Wouldn't I have to agree to that?" asked a now inquisitive Shinji.
Asuka gave him her traditional 'You'd better do it , or else!' look.
That quickly made Shinji's decision easy. He still had a smile on his face though.

After a few more minutes Shinji finally finished and
Asuka propped her feet up on the cabin seats
sighed with relief, and they continued to talk.

Asuka then looked down and away from Shinji.
"Ahh, Shinji, I need to talk to you ... about something ... important."
Shinji looked at his friend with a concerned look. Simply put,
Asuka almost never asked a question timidly, yet she had done just that.

"Ok, what's wrong? Did Touji do something stupid again?"
"No, for once not that," she smiled, then paused nervously,
"I wanted to tell you this when we were back in Tokyo-3,
but I never could find the right time to tell you."
Asuka then got up barefoot and leaned on the railing.
As she looked out over the moving landscape Shinji followed and then stood next to her.
He turned to her. "Asuka, what do you need to tell me?
It's obviously important to you, so .... just tell me,"
said a supportive Shinji as he put his arm around her shoulders.

She turned towards him and took his hands in hers.
Shinji then looked concerned again. After another heavy sigh, Asuka spoke.
"When I got pregnant, ... I didn't tell you ...how ...I got pregnant."
Shinji looked confused. "What do you mean, Asuka?"
"I was artificially inseminated." Still looking confused, Shinji asked;
"Ok, you didn't do it the normal way. So?"
"Well, let me put it to you straight, Touji's sperm weren't the only ones ....... that inseminated me."
"What?!? What do you mean, weren't the only ones?" said a now nervous Shinji.
Asuka looked down at her hands holding his and after a heavy breath said.

"Shinji,... I'm having twins," Shinji's eyes bugged out, "And one of them, .... is yours."

"WWWWWHHHAAAATTTT!"

Shinji was floored after that literally landed on his behind on the floor with a dazed look on his face.
Asuka then looked at him shook her head and said, "Same as always," she smirked and sighed
but then became serious as she pulled him up from the floor and revived him by slapping him a few times lightly.
(But with Asuka lightly is a relative term)

After he came to, Asuka then explained to him what happened.

It was eleven months ago as Asuka and Touji had decided to have a child.
This was largely influenced by the fact that Shinji and Rei had informed Misato of Rei's pregnancy.
Not wanting to be left out, the competitive couple had then started a rigorous round of love making that produced ...
nothing.
Disappointed, they then consulted Ritsuko who after an examination told them the bad news.
Touji had a low sperm count.
To say that the ex-jock was furious was like saying that Mt. Fuji was a mole hill.
Asuka was equally peeved.
But after calming them down Dr. Akagi came up with a solution.
She proposed that Touji "donate" sperm which would then be kept frozen.
Then after a sufficient amount of it was saved up
they would artificially inseminate Asuka to get her pregnant.
Now they asked would it take as long as Rei and Shinji did until it she got pregnant?
Dr. Akagi then said if they didn't want to wait that long, there was another solution,
but, it meant that Touji risked the chance of not being the baby's father.
It was a new procedure where parts of another mans' DNA would act as
a wagon train of sorts to strengthen the more sluggish sperm to inseminate the egg.
(*Author's note: Hey, ...this is science fiction anime, it could happen this way. ;) )
They both knew that if Touji's little soldiers weren't peppy enough they couldn't inseminate Asuka.
Both did not like the idea of a total stranger's DNA doing the deed, so they agreed on another option.

"You mean you high jacked ....my DNA?!?" said Shinji in a loud and not too kind tone.

"Hey, It wasn't high jacked, remember our agreement?"
Then Shinji recalled that the one option Asuka had asked for was samples of his DNA for later use.

"So, why did you want my samples in the first place?"

"Because as you know, many people are having trouble conceiving.
I knew I could simply because it was successful with you and Rei. But, I didn't know about Touji's condition then.
So, I always prepare myself. And since it had to do with conception in mind,
....... you had always been in the back of my mind."
She had a sad look to her now, her head down in shame..
Shinji nodded, then smiled in understanding as he realized why she really did this.
Though she is in love now with Touji, she would always have a piece of her heart for him.
After a few awkward minutes he spoke.
"I .... am glad I could help, Asuka."
He smiled at her, and she hugged him with relief shown through her face.
"God, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I didn't know how you'd react," said Asuka.
"That's ....understandable. With Rei and I married ... and with a child,
I would see the trouble that this could cause."
Asuka nodded her answer back. She felt as though she was now relieved of that pressure.
Then she saw Shinji still had something to say.
"Asuka, I have never lied to Rei. I have to tell her, (he paused) you and
Touji have to be there as well when I do".
He took her shoulder in his warm hands. "Can you do that for me?"
Though she didn't like it, she grudgingly agreed that tomorrow
they would all meet for breakfast and explain it all to Rei.
Shinji was a little nervous about that, but he wasn't in the hot seat this time.
It was Asuka who could be in trouble with Rei.
But for now they nodded to each other,
and with a friendly hug they made their way arm in arm back to their respective cabins.

________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________

A Fateful Breakfast

Morning brought a new perspective to the trip home. The first to the dining salon was Touji,
but that was normal for him.
He ran up and down the train car to keep himself in shape since
he didn't have the use of the UN facilities track and gym.
He knew he would be able to use the facilities at the university in Kyoto-2,
but that didn't stop his morning regimen of exercise
and a healthy breakfast. But this time breakfast had a new meaning to him.
Asuka had told him of her conversation with Shinji the previous night.
So he was in a little less that normal mood.
When the Ikari's made their way to the dining salon he tensed
up as they sat down.
Right behind them though came Asuka slowly walking carefully since she was carrying twins,
and in the latter stages of pregnancy.
She sat next to her husband and grabbed his hand under the table to reassure him of their coming
conversation.

Asuka was probably just as nervous as Touji was, if not more so.
Even though her and Rei had not been on the best of terms, since
Christmas they had buried much of their animosity towards each other.
So, it was with mixed feelings that Asuka began to tell Rei
of what had transpired earlier that morning, on the observation deck.

A good thirty to forty seconds after Asuka had finished her explanation,
Rei who was almost like her old emotionless self slowly turned
her eyes at Asuka after staring into space, deep in thought.
"I ... understand the situation you were in Asuka, and I do know you did this to have Touji's children.
But, my concern now is to the future of the child who was fathered using Shinji's DNA."
"What are your plans for it?" asked a still very passive and stoic Rei.
Baby Yui had finished nursing and was asleep in a bassinet next to Rei.

"Well, we plan to raise it like the other twin, together and hopefully to a happy and productive life,"
was Asuka's truthful and sincere answer.

"Will Shinji be involved in the raising of this child, it is he who is the father of it?"
asked Rei this time with a slight hint of emotion.

Touji then spoke up; "Listen Rei, I want to have a family like you and Shinji have with Yui,
I love Asuka, and she loves me, and we will be there to raise both of the twins."
He paused as he collected himself, then continued: "We do want both of you in their
lives as their godparents and as an Uncle and Aunt.
But, understand both of them have Asuka as their Mom, and I think that for
now we'll keep the child's origins secret until he or she is old enough."

"But, I do not keep secrets from anyone, especially considering our backgrounds,
and our previous association with NERV.
I don't plan on telling my child any lies," stated a now slightly annoyed Rei.

Shinji then put his arm around Rei's shoulders first to calm her down,
second to say something himself, and diffuse the growing tension in the salon.
"Rei, listen, Asuka and Touji have promised to tell my child when the time is right.
I think we should keep in contact with each
other and then we can all make that decision together."
Then looking at his wife in a loving fashion, "I know it helped me greatly
when I had to go through all those revelations from NERV
and Third Impact to have a warm and loving family and close and
dear friends with me to help me through that."
He sighed as he held his wife's gaze in his and then continued:
"I know we all will be there for my child when the time comes,
and I agree with Touji and Asuka, that since it is Asuka's child
too, it should be her that should raise it."
Rei slowly nodded her agreement, then she turned to Asuka who was unusually
quiet and withdrawn, probably from guilt caused by the whole situation.

Rei then reached out her hand and caught Asuka's with it.
She smiled at the former Second Child then said:
" I would be happy, to be the child's Aunt, ... if you would do the same for Yui."
A bright and cheerful smile grew on Asuka's face as a non-verbal answer to Rei's question.
"Good, now I am hungry, Shinji dear, can you see what's keeping our breakfast?"
"Yes, honey." Then as Shinji got up to check, he kissed Rei as he left.
Touji was squeezing Asuka's hand on the table, both happy and smiling at how things turned out.

___________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Moving In, and getting comfortable!

The Train ride ended just past lunchtime, which the two couples enjoyed on the train.
The children were met by Section 2 agents who relieved those
who had guarded them on the train trip to Kyoto-2.
A van was used to transport them back to the universities family dorm.
It was a former apartment complex that the University purchased
and converted to family only dorms.
The Section 2 agents guarded them,
they also helped them to get upstairs mainly taking the luggage as the husbands helped the
wives with their loads. Namely Yui Ikari, and Asuka's belly!

As they finally made it by elevator to their floor,
Shinji headed immediately to their apartments front door.
He opened it and smiled. They employed a maid who helped out twice a week.
Since they were staying in Tokyo-3, they had forgotten about her. But she hadn't.
The apartment was in pristine condition as all of the couples' belongings were as they should
be and it smelled ...clean!
As the Ikari's made their way inside their apartment,
the Suzahara's also made their way to their "new" apartment. Now Touji,
and Asuka both were eager to see their new digs,
but of course they had a house in Tokyo-3, and even though the apartment was
prepared ahead of time (per Misato's influence) they had a bit of a letdown .
It was of course several hundred square feet smaller,
though it had two large bedrooms, the dining and living room was much smaller than they were used to.
But, they knew this was only for a few months as their training classes would only run that long.
But, both also had a smile as well, ... they were going to be parents!
Plus having some friends next door to help wasn't a bad thing.

As the week wore on, the two couples settled down to their daily routines.
Mainly going to school, and having time for themselves afterwards.
Shinji and Rei's focus was of course Yui, while Touji's and Asuka's was their upcoming pregnancy.
During the week, the boys would get together to do "boy" things
like hitting the nearest anime and action movie store as well as a daily game of one-on-one basketball,
and mainly for Touji to get pointers on his expectant fatherhood.
While slowly but surely Rei and Asuka did go together to various places,
from getting baby furniture, to setting up
day care for Asuka's unborn twins as she took her classes.
Though both weren't the closest of friends,
(Hikari was still Asuka's best friend) they slowly grew to be pleasant towards each other.
They even helped each other out as neighbors would. Of course both had ties to each other.
Their children, born and unborn, were one way or the other
related to them both. So they knew whether they liked each other or not,
they had to get along, and for the most part, they did.
At first there wasn't any major problems except one, Touji's and Asuka's loud arguments.
Shinji and Rei, after 3 days of this and of little sleep,
except for Yui who could sleep through an N2 mine attack, called Misato
for advice. She did better than that.
She sent in an abatement team and pumped into their shared wall, foam insulation.
They also did that to their other wall on the other side of their apartment
so Touji and Asuka wouldn't disturb their neighbors on the other side.
But other than that, things went well for the rest of the month.
As all this was happening, Section 2 intensified their surveillance,
heightened since the incident at Tokyo-3,
but since Misato wasn't a direct observer here, it could have been better.
Then a month into their stay,
a sound much like a hyena in heat was heard even through the foam insulated wall!

__________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________

A Shared and Happy Event

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,"
was heard in the top floor of the apartment building that housed the former pilots of the Evangelion.
The high pitched scream came from one Asuka Sohryu Suzahara,
whose water had just broke, three weeks early!
"Damn you Touji, you did this to me!" (He ran from her)
"Hey come back here, you worm, you come get your AAAAHHHH!"
Asuka had started to have contractions as soon as her water broke,
and yet somehow having the energy to chase her retreating
husband around their apartment who was running for his life.

"Jeez, Asuka I wasn't the only one there, you also wanted this! (Bang) Hey watch it that hurt!"
"Well next time I'll find a sword, but that mallet did it's job didn't it honeyyyyyyAAAAAA!"
She finally collapsed and held her belly as she screamed at another contraction.
"Damn it Touji call the ambulance NOW!!"
Touji stopped and ran for the phone just as there was a pounding on their front door.
Shinji who had heard all the yelling finally had called for the ambulance
and with Rei staying in their apartment to keep an eye on Yui,
went to his friends apartment door and started pounding on it
not knowing what happened but thinking it was Asuka's time.
"Touji, Asuka, are you ok, open the door!" was what Shinji repeated as he kept pounding the door very worried.
He was answered finally by Touji who now had a nice read bruise on his head courtesy of Asuka's mallet.
"Man, what happened to you?"
"I didn't duck when I should have, now listen, you need to help her Shinji, she isn't letting me near her.
She's throwing things at me if she sees me, ya know!" He was now rubbing his sore head.
"Ok, Touji, I'll help her, just go next door and tell Rei what's going on,
I already called the ambulance, you need to call the hospital and the doctor, so get going."
Shinji then went inside his friends' apartment looking for his former roommate.
"Asuka, it's Shinji, where are you?"
"Here, baka, in the bathroom!"
Shinji turned the corner to the bathroom, and on the floor was his friend in definite agony,
and with watery eyes. But as Asuka is Asuka, she cried but without whimpering or noise,
just tears to show her pain.
Shinji who knew of her pride knew that this was what he'd find. He sighed as he knelt down and helped Asuka up.
Shooting pains caused her to put more weight on him as he helped her out of the bathroom and towards the living room.
After making the proper calls and informing Rei of what happened,Touji then was handed Yui
as Rei then ran next door to help her husband with Asuka.
When Rei showed up, Asuka was on the living room floor,
already doing her lamaze breathing as another contraction hit.
"Hey (Breath) Rei (Breath) can you (Breath) give me (Breath) some pointers (Breath)?"
"I can tell you of my experience if childbirth, Asuka, but ... it was different from this," said Rei.
"How (Breath) different? (Breath) What do (Breath) you mean (Breath)?" asked Asuka.
"I had only one baby, and I had learned techniques to control the contractions,
.... so it wasn't as unpleasant as yours is now."
"And how (Breath) does that (Breath) help (Breath) me?!?!" yelled Asuka between breaths.
"Well, if you allow me I can help you with the pain," answered Rei.
"Ok, so (Breath) what to I (Breath) do?" said Asuka.
Rei then pushed several spots on Asuka's back, arms and neck,
then that quickly most of the pain during a contraction was cut, but not all.

"What did you do Rei?" was all Asuka said as she could now handle the contraction in a better fashion.
I used pressure points to alleviate the pain,
but it would have to be suspended when you start pushing your babies out."

"Why?" asked a now calmer Asuka.

"Because you need to feel the baby coming out to be able to alert the doctors of any unusual feelings or
activities," stated a calm and collected Rei.
Just as she finished speaking, the paramedics arrived and gathered her up into a gurney,
and Rei, Shinji, Touji and even baby Yui followed Asuka to the hospital.

As the doctors arrived to help Asuka have her children,
Rei informed them of her method to alleviate Asuka of her pain duringcontractions,
and she had stated before. As Asuka was about to start pushing Rei came in and reversed what she had done.
Though Asuka had been pre-warned, her wail was even louder than before.
Poor Touji, who had been allowed by his wife to be back at her side,
then had several bones broken as she had a vice grip on his hand as the pain came flooding back in.
For both Asuka and Touji, it was the most painful hour and a half they had ever experienced.
Rei, Yui, and Shinji then stayed in the adjacent waiting room.
Rei had retreated there after taking the pressure point triggers off.
Then adding to Asuka's and Touji's wailing and crying was one,
then about five minutes later two babies crying even louder than their parents.

Another half hour later Shinji, Rei, and Yui (now asleep in her father's arms)
made their way to Asuka's room.
There in bed sat a smiling and happy Asuka Sohryu Suzahara holding her two children,
a boy with brown eyes, and tufts of red hair.
The other child was a baby girl with blue eyes and a full head of auburn brown hair.
Shinji knew without a doubt which one of the children was his, as Rei also understood.
Touji was sitting next to Asuka with a hand now in a cast up to his elbow.
Shinji smirked at the sight while Touji all could do was look at his wife ... and sigh!
Asuka saw this and asked, "Wanna hold my hand again ... honey?!"
"NNNo, ... honey, I ...just wanted to get a better view of our kids," was all he said in a shaky voice.
Shinji then Rei had a smile as they observed the exchange between the battling Suzahara's.
All of that stopped when one then the other baby started crying.
"Well I guess it's feeding time. Hmm, I think Rei can stay,
or does my little baka want to see my chest as I breast feed. Hmmm?"
"Yeah, ah Touji listen let me buy you something to eat, you know it's been a long night, so..."
Shinji then disappeared with Yui still in his arms, and dragging Touji out with his good arm.
The nurse and Rei helped Asuka adjust the twins as each had one of her breasts happliy feeding away.
"You were right Rei, it does bring me closer to them, and not just physically,"
said a quiet and yet happy Asuka
"It is one of the joys of motherhood," was all Rei could say.

They continued talking quietly as Shinji and Touji discussed the night's events.
"I...I'm a ...Dad," Touji said again and again as Shinji chuckled at his friend's new status.
"You know we want you two to be involved in their future," said Touji seriously.
"Touji, you are my best friend, and I and Rei will always be there for you guys, so don't worry about us being
here and you guys in Tokyo-3. So..."

Touji innterupted Shinji by holding up his hand and waited until Shinji stopped talking.
"We...have been talking about that. As of last week, I have accepted a basketball coaching job with Kyoto-2 University."
Shinji had a stunned look on his face. Then he asked the obvious question. "What does Asuka say about that?"
"Well, she's now an associate Professor of Engineereing at Kyoto-2 U."
Shinji fell off his chair!
"Hmmm, well it seems we're faculty members too." Now Touji fell off his chair.
As both sat back in their seats Shinji continued;
"I'm the new chamber Orchestra Director as well as teaching Music theory, and Rei in Teaching and field research
in Cultural Anthropology."
Touji then stared his friend before chuckling out loud.
"What's so funny?"
After he stopped laughing, Touji replied; " I can't wait to see Asuka's face when I ...."
Then a loud comment wafted from Asuka's room.
"YOUR TEACHING WHERE?" followed by two babies crying from fright given by their German Mom.

___________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Aftermath

As they slept in their homes after the last few week's momentous events, the security detail assigned to protect
the former pilots had become lax. That was enough to have a paid assassin set himself up across from the former pilots'
apartment building. He knew their habits since he spent the last two weeks following them at a distance.
Noting where and when they visited the grocers, and the daily classes they all attended. Even seeing that all four took walks
after their dinners to settle their food. The assassin knew that this would be a piece of cake.
And he knew three times a day where they were all together, a perfect time to pick them all off.
He also had help, as the plan was not only to kill the pilots but to destroy the biulding
as a message that SEELE will never allow their plans to be twarted ... by anyone!

What the assassin didn't know was that at that very moment, the Children's mysterious benefactor heading towards a certain
building in Tokyo-2, where the man who hired the assassin was. With him out of Kyoto-2, would the children stand a chance?
The concluding chapter will wrap up events for all involved.
Chapter 7: The End of the Beginning