Author�s Drivel: This story takes place Christmas Day, 2015. It might
 not be perfectly in synch with the series, but think of it as an Eva 
Christmas Episode. And I realize that it is a bit later than Christmas, 
but sue me, I write slow.

Other People Plot�s (OPP) warning: this is shamelessly stolen from both 
the movie Scrooged, the story A Christmas Carol and Neon Genesis
Evangelion. 
NGE is trademark Gainax (the good people behind many a good anime) while 
the other two are property of someone else whose names escape me.

SPOILERS AHEAD- for the whole damn series and the movies and also for a
Christmas 
Carol and Scrooged!



The Scrooge of Tokyo 3

	Ikari Gendou rolled out of his small futon, reaching immediately for
his glasses. He adjusted them to his liking, slowly rising to his feet.
His room was small, filled almost entirely by the futon and dresser. A
small light sat atop the dresser, along with several books of various
types. An open copy of Moby Dick rested on a battered stack of papers by
his old sensei, Fuyutsuki. It was a tidy room, without posters or
pictures or any sign of personality. It was simply where the Commander
slept. 
	Gendou gazed out the small window that stared at the city. A thin
covering of snow coated the whole city, the single reminder of what day
it was. A very special time of year for everyone but Gendou. 
	�Christmas day,� he thought as he walked to the small bathroom. �The
birth of the savior of humanity,� he said bitterly.
	
	Gendou stepped out of his apartment exactly twenty minutes later, hair
damp from his quick cold shower, hand wrapped around a paper cup of
coffee. He kept no silverware in his tidy kitchen, nor any real food. A
few snacks, a bottle of sake or two and a coffee maker were all his
culinary equipment. In his meditative moments he thought of the irony of
his kitchen. For all the gossip behind Misato�s cooking, Shinji probably
ate better there then he would�ve with the elder Ikari. Food was the
least of his concerns. 
	He closed and locked his door, running his pass card through the door
lock, and turned down the hallway to the elevator. Ikari half smiled as
the elevator began its lonely descent to the ground floor. How shocked
would Fuyutsuki be if he knew the Ice Commander kept tabs on the gossip
of NERV. It was his duty to know everything that went on there. And it
had nothing to do with the fact that it was the only way he could really
learn about his son. Nothing at all. 
	Gendou left the building, perfectly on time as always. He crossed the
empty streets, sun beginning its day long journey across the sky. He
walked carefully across the icy streets, annoyed at the crunching noises
his feet made on the fresh snow. He cherished these moments of peace and
quiet, knowing that soon they wouldn�t last long. 
	Gendou walked down the stairwell that led to the express train. Just as
he reached the platform a train came into view. Nothing like timing, he
thought, as close to happy as he could feel.
	The train was empty, as usual. Nothing was more meditative to Gendou
than an empty train. He shuffled through his papers, expense reports and
research updates. The necessary trappings of the grand disguise that was
NERV. The thought garnered another chuckle from his weathered mouth.
Another day was about to begin.
	�Do you know what day it is?� a voice asked him from across the car. 
	Ikari grunted as he looked up. Where had this woman come from? 
	�Its Christmas day! But you�re still on your way to work, aren�t you
Ikari Gendou.�
	He looked at her a bit more closely, his face slipping into the
expressionless mask that most people associated with Ikari Gendou. The
woman was slightly shorter than he, and a gaijin with long blond hair.
She was dressed in casual wear, of matching red and green color with
white trim. 
	�How do you know my name?� he asked, glaring into her face with a look
of complete disinterest. Her eyes were blue, deep blue. Like his son�s.
	�I know quite a bit about you, Ikari. I�ve been sent to show you
something, something that not many men see.�
	Gendou�s hand, still in his small briefcase, dug for the pistol that he
had stored there for emergencies much like this one. �Who sent you?� he
asked, while his mind raced: It couldn�t be the old men. Not yet anyway.
	�The gun will do you no good. It is time for us to leave.� And with a
brilliant flash of white, Gendou and the woman disappeared from the
empty train car. 
	At NERV HQ, Ibuki Maya glanced down at her console. There had been a
brief flash on the portion of the monitor that monitored for AT fields.
Too brief for any sort of confirmation from the Magi, who remained
silent regarding an analysis. The wave-form readings were inconclusive
as well. It�s probably nothing but a malfunction, she thought, well
aware of how sensitive the array of gravitometers that ringed the city
were.

One: Ghost of Christmas Past

	Gendou looked around himself, expecting to see the train car reform
from the white flash. To his consternation (and concealed alarm) he
found himself staring at a warehouse on the sea front of Tokyo 2. A
familiar warehouse, that he hadn�t seen in a long, long time.
	�You remember this place, don�t you,� the gaijin stranger said. 
	�How did I get here?� he asked calmly. To an outside observer, the
Commander�s visage was perfectly calm, but inside his mind was reeling.
Has my mind finally cracked? He wondered silently.
	�It doesn�t matter. You did. Deal with it.�
	A man ran across the street to the warehouse, opening the door and
rushing in, mindful of the brisk wind that was rushing in off the sea.
Gendou�s composure lapsed ever so slightly. He knew that man. He knew he
had been dead since the day fifteen years ago when Gendou had killed him
and two billion other souls.
	�Come on,� the gaijin woman said impatiently. �I don�t have all day.�
	As the two walked a light snow began to fall across the city. �I
remember this day quite well thank you,� he protested as he followed
her.
	�Really?� she said inanely as she pushed through the door.
	�Wait!� he said calmly. �Won�t they notice us barging in?� he asked,
knowing exactly what the man would do if he caught any intruders into
his domicile. 
	�No one can see or hear us, Ikari. For that matter we can�t even
interact with anything here besides inanimate objects.� She replied
sagely. �And don�t get into an argument with me on what is inanimate.
Don�t you want to see your father?�
	�No.�
	�Too bad.�
	The warehouse was chock full of boxes and crates, all loaded onto
pallets for easy delivery. But it was quiet, dead quiet. Nothing had
been shipped from here in a long time. Gendou�s dad, in an effort to
save money, had managed to rent space from one of the local gangs for
his family to spend time in. A �vacation� he called it.
	�Gendou!� a feminine voice yelled.
	�Mother?� he answered.
	�Not you! The other one,� hissed the gaijin.
	�Yes mother?� a quiet voice asked.
	�We�re eating.�
	�Coming!� the child sounded back. The sound of footfalls could be heard
as a small boy ran across the warehouse from some hiding spot somewhere
deep inside the maze of crates.
	Little Gendou raced to the makeshift table, really just a pallet
stacked on a pair of plastic boxes. A pair of headphones dangled out of
his ears, and his eyes were pealed at the food waiting for him. Takeout,
a selection of pizza and other foreign foods which represented the
bounty the family would be receiving this Christmas.
	�Be a good boy now,� the Gendo's father said sternly as the child knelt
down to eat. �Remember the prayer.�
	�You were a very quiet boy, weren�t you,� the gaijin said as the meal
began. �Always ready to retreat from the world into your own private
fantasy, kept company by that little radio.�
	�I was weak and emotional�like my dad.�
	�But now you�re strong and logical, aren�t you. Come along, there is
more for you to see.�
	
	The next scene unfolded before the two observers quickly, seeming to
spring from the last spontaneously. A small apartment, European in
style, decked out in a festive holiday fashion. A small plastic tree
occupied one corner, while the kitchen and table took up most of the
rest. Papers and books were scattered across the room, thrown
lackadaisically by the occupants. An older Gendou, perhaps twenty five
years of age, stood in the kitchen.
	�Honey the ham is getting cold,� he protested as he hovered over a
large Christmas ham. 
	�Don�t show me this,� the older Ikari protested, composure lost for a
moment as he realized where he was.
	�I�ll be right out,� a soft voice said from another room. �Little
Shinji needs another change.�
	�What do we feed him?� Gendou asked himself, a true smile spreading
across his face.
	The older Ikari retreated back further into the corner of the room that
held the tree, almost hiding in the plastic branches. �I don�t want to
see her,� he mumbled, squeezing his eyes tight. �Not here, not now.�
	�Too bad,� his companion said coldly. Her face, once hidden from view
by the tree�s branches, softened noticeably. �This is Shinji�s first
Christmas, less than a year after the second Impact.�
	�Here we are,� Yui said warmly as she carried Shinji out from their
room. �Shinji, say hello to your father.�
	�Enough,� the elder Ikari said from behind a branch. His control had
returned, as had the icy edge that ran through his voice. �Somewhere
else. Anywhere else.�
	�As you command,� mocked the woman. And the scene changed again.

	Commander Ikari Gendou, leader of the First Branch of NERV, defender of
humanity, reeled back into his seat on the empty train car that carried
him to work each day for the past ten years. His breath was short, his
eyes squeezed tight, arms clutching the briefcase he held. A very
different Ikari Gendou from the one that had usually rode the train.
	�Only a nightmare,� he said as he looked around at the empty car. 
	He looked down at himself, icy demeanor returning. Then he noticed
something clinging to his arm. A bit of tinsel, of the kind that might
adorn any tree that had been done up for Christmas.

Two: The Ghost of Christmas Present:

	Ikari Gendou strolled into his office exactly three minutes later than
he did normally. For a man with a normal job, arriving at six on
Christmas Day would be a mark of a truly driven worker. In Gendou�s case
it was a sign of his own weakness. He had sat in the brisk morning air
out front of NERV HQ for almost a full minute, and traveled into the
fortress slowly, taking frequent brakes to think about his train ride. 
	Perhaps, he thought as he rested himself in the chair behind his desk,
it is overwork. I need a vacation. The thought brought a half smile to
his face. I�m sure that will fit right in with the timetable. I could go
before the committee and ask them to postpone for a week or two, for a
vacation. 
	Fuyutsuki entered the door, the old professor leaving early to visit
family up north for the day. Gendou had approved his request without
emotion after the old man had asked for it a week before. 
	�The reports that you requested are ready, and the tests Doctor Akagi
has been running are nearly finished.� 
	�Excellent,� Gendou said, grateful for something to distract him from
the train ride. He picked up the stack of files and looked back at his
sensei. �What are the Children doing today?� he asked quietly.
	�Rei has a harmonics test today, and Doctor Akagi requested that either
Shinji or Asuka come in for a routine check on one of the simulators.
Why?�
	�Just� clearing my head. Let Asuka know that she will have a test
tonight.� He paused. �Perhaps some lunch, Professor?� he asked.
	�Of course,� Fuyutsuki responded, slightly confused. �Its been a while
since the last time we ate, hasn�t it. Why now?� Damned if I believe
there�s no reason, he thought darkly. 
	Gendou didn�t answer. Instead he stood, brushed something off his
shoulder in a close, for Ikari, approximation of alarm, and walked
around his desk. �Come Professor, we have some details to discuss.�

	Fuyutsuki had to admit that Gendou was the same as ever. He ate
quickly, pausing to speak about various topics, plans and procedures.
Fuyutsuki enjoyed slowly eating, tasting each roll as he bit into it. He
secretly believed that the only edible food produced by the NERV
cafeteria were the rolls, which were baked fresh each morning. 
	Gendou shoveled everything into his mouth with no prejudice. He held no
enjoyment in eating, and hadn�t for as long as Fuyutsuki remembered.
Odd, he thought, when Yui had been such a great cook.Or maybe not, he
thought, listening to Ikari discuss his plans for increasing the
production of LCL. It was safe to talk about these matters behind the
secure doors of the Commander�s Lounge. And it was the first time that
it had been used since it had been built. Normally the two commanders
would eat by themselves in the cafeteria, silently consuming their food
and returning to work.
	�Excuse me, Fuyutsuki.� Gendou said, rising to his feet. �I need to use
the�facilities.� Then he grinned. 
	�Aren�t we too old for bathroom humor?� Fuyutsuki replied. There are
times when you are almost human, Gendou, he silently added.
	Gendou walked to the private bathroom that was in the back of the
lounge. This place was a waste of space, he thought. We could fit
another lab in here, or some additional computers. He pushed the door
open and went to a stall. As he opened the door and walked in he was
suddenly somewhere else.
	The first thing he realized was he no longer needed to use the
bathroom. The second thing was his location. He was staring down at the
battered city of Tokyo 3 from the Tower. Another manifestation of
psychosis, he thought darkly. If I go insane then it will be a great
deal more difficult to finish the plan. 
	�Ikari Gendou, look at your city,� a voice spoke softly from behind
him. Gendou whirled around to face his target. She was a small woman, a
head and a half shorter then he, with dark black hair and brown eyes
that seemed to look between his eyes, as if locked on to something. At
least it isn�t a gaijin, he thought.
	�And who are you supposed to be?� Ikari asked, noting the archaic
Chinese garb the woman was dressed in.
	�The Ghost of Christmas Present.� A simple statement of fact.
	�I don�t believe you.� 
	�Gendou, you are a man of unusual interests. I�m sure you have seen
things which you hadn�t believed possible happen before your eyes
before. What is one more?�
	�Did the old men send you?� Gendou asked suddenly, realizing the
absurdity of the question as it left his mouth.
	�Old men? No one sent me. I am here because there was a job I needed to
do here.�
	�Which is?� Gendou asked skeptically.
	�Show you the present.�
	With a sharp lurch they were inside an apartment, one Gendou couldn�t
place immediately. It was larger than his, and packed with more
furniture. A small couch faced a television/stereo system, a desk was
squeezed in beside a stuffed bookshelf, and a tidy kitchen was separated
from the rest of the room by a counter. Gendou saw small figurines of
cats littering the whole apartment, of all shapes and sizes.
	�Dr. Akagi�s room, isn�t it,� his companion said. �Plenty of stuff
here, isn�t there. But its still sort of empty.�
	Gendou glanced around the room again, noticing the lack of photos.
There was one picture frame on Ritsuko�s counter, but turned face down.
He lifted it up, set it right. It was a picture of the doctor, Misato
and Kaji, all smiling happily. Ritsuko was not blond, nor was she
wearing her lab coat. 
	�Now why would she have put that picture face down?� the Ghost asked.
	�It isn�t important. Why does any of this matter?�
	�Something I have come to expect from humanity is the inability to
realize that everything matters. Come on,� the small woman said
impatiently, tapping her foot. 
	�Where are we-� he was cut off his surroundings blended into someplace
else. He was standing in one of the larger supply rooms of NERV HQ,
staring at the boxes of supplies for the cafeteria. In front of him
Misato and Kaji were locked in an frenzied animalistic embrace.The two
showed no signs of seeing him, though he was in plain view.
	�Let me guess, no one can see or hear us.�
	�Correct. You learn quick.�
	�I�m sure this can�t have anything to with me,� he said, annoyance
slowly eroding his calm.
	�Really? I was under the impression that you were a rather smart
person, but it seems you still don�t realize that everything matters.
After all, isn�t humanity rather important to your plans? Or are you no
better than the men from SEELE?�
	�You know nothing about the men from SEELE. The arrogance and ambition
they hold so dear that they would kill all of mankind with no hope for
resurrection.�
	�On the contrary, Commander, I know much about them. Almost everything
in fact.�
	�Why are you showing me these things? To torture me or confuse me.�
Gendou was angry, and not afraid of showing it. His icy demeanor had
melted, and his voice was raised. 
	�Relax. You may come to understand eventually that these two are also
taking part in their own personal Completion plan.� The Ghost gave
Gendou a wicked smile. �Come on.�
	Ikari managed to brace himself for the next shift, and was greeted by a
view of Unit 02, locked onto the restraining frame. The entry plug was
out, and a small red suited figure was staring at the Eva. Soryuu Asuka
Langley looked expressionlessly at the massive figure of the Evangelion,
lips moving slowly as she spoke. In the distance, Ikari couldn�t hear
the words, but he had a good idea of what the girl was saying.
	�She stays here for hours at a time, when there is no one around for
her to abuse. A fragile mind that is bound to break in time,� the Ghost
said softly. �But you know all about her mind don�t you. The psyche
reports confirm what you did to her so long ago.�
	�The project needed another pilot. Her mother volunteered,� Ikari
began, then realized he was justifying himself. �Who are you to judge
me?� he asked sharply.
	�I�m not judging anything. I just show you the reality around you.�
	�I�m quite aware of what goes on around me, thank you.�
	�Actually you are. I must say I respect you for your drive towards your
goal. Your ruthlessness in crushing anything that stands in your way.
Nothing matter to you but her-�
	�Enough. Are we finished here?�
	�Yes. One last thing for you to see with me. I won�t lie to you,� the
Ghost said, �I haven�t enjoyed taking you on this trip.�
	�Spare me your opinions. I have never seen a less convincing psychosis.
I mean, you look more like an old Anime voice actor than a Ghost.
Shouldn�t you be a little more intimidating?�
	�Wait for my brother to take you, then you�ll get intimidating. Ready?�
	As the words left her mouth, they were already standing on the balcony
of an apartment that Gendou recognized as Major Katsuragi�s. The lights
were off, the apartment apparently empty. The middle of the kitchen
counter was occupied by a large pyramid of empty beer cans, and a few
pairs of chopsticks.
	�The only one home is your son. When the others are here he does what
they ask, but when the time comes for him to do something for himself��
she trailed off as Shinji walked into view. 
	Shinji walked across the living room, feet dragging on the ground as he
shuffled to the fridge. He was dressed in his school uniform, even
though there would be no school today. Gendou wondered suddenly if his
son had any clothes besides the uniforms. Then he remembered his own
closet and dressers, filled with the same suits, shirts and underwear.
	Shinji filled his glass from the tap and reached for an apple from the
fruit basket partially hidden from sight by the beer-amid. He held the
apple in his hand as he adjusted the headphones that adorned his head.
He shuffled slowly back to his room.
	�Come on in,� the Ghost said after Gendou had remained silent for a few
moments. She dragged Gendou through the door, the two phasing through
the matter as if it wasn�t there. �Look at the answering machine.� 
	The answering machine sat blinking unchecked messages, but Shinji had
ignored it. �The messages are from the boys he goes to school with. They
have asked him to come to a small get together at the class
representative�s house. Asuka has a similar message waiting for her as
well. She would most likely go if not for the tests you set for her
tonight.� 
	�I don�t see what is so important about a Christmas party. These
Children have a duty to the world, and have been trusted with an
incredibly important goal. I think the saving of the human race could
quite possibly take precedence over attending a �get together.��
	�You have a peculiar definition of saving the human race, Ikari
Gendou,� the Ghost remarked almost coldly. �Come now, its time to go
back.� With an almost audible pop, the two figures disappeared, leaving
only the empty living room. Almost an hour later, Shinji left his room
again, this time going to the window to gaze at the city. He looked
emotionlessly at the sky, still snowing steadily. He missed the two
pairs of footprints that were dead center on the balcony, slowly being
covered.

The Ghost of Christmas Future

	Gendou left the Commander�s lounge abruptly, giving Fuyutsuki an excuse
about a meeting he had forgotten about. Fuyutsuki accepted this without
comment, knowing full well that the Commander forgot almost nothing. But
he was leaving in a few moments anyway, having relations that he had to
visit on Christmas.
	The Commander strolled onto the bridge an hour later, glancing around
in the relaxed atmosphere of a non-crisis command center. Misato was
back on duty, with no signs of wear from her earlier athletic
activities. Asuka was beginning her simulator runs, blissfully unaware
of the invitation waiting for her at home. The first string of NERV
employees was on vacation for the holidays, and besides Dr. Akagi down
in Terminal Dogma, there were none of the people that Ikari was used to
seeing in the command center. 
	He sat at his seat over looking the whole room, hands locked in front
of his face, thinking deeply. Beside the occasional nervous glance up at
his station, those in the room ignored him. He found himself searching
for a crisis, anything to distract him from the images he saw. But
nothing came up.
	Finally needing some air and a change in scenery he departed. 
	�Major,� he said as he passed by Misato, �alert me if there are any
unusual occurances.�
	�Yes sir,� she replied, slightly puzzled. But then the Commander was
always odd in his conversations. Probably knows something we mortals
don�t, she thought as he entered the elevator down to Terminal Dogma. 
	As the doors whooshed shut, Ikari realized he wasn�t alone. He had been
sure the elevator had been empty, should have been empty since the only
other people with access to the command elevator were Major Katsuragi
and the Professor, both accounted for. But behind him he felt a cold
presence. He turned to face it, and saw something that shook his
composure so badly that a small gasp escaped him.
	A tall form, cloaked in a gigantic mantle of black fabric, gazed down
from a shadowy face that hid deep inside the black hood. Two pinpricks
of light, not dissimilar to the eyes of Unit 01, stared back at him.
Clutched in the crook of the figure�s arms was a tall scythe, blade a
dark shade of red.
	�Who are you?� Gendou breathed, already certain of the answer.
	DEATH. 
	�Why are you here?�
	TO SHOW YOU THE FUTURE.
	�Why you? Shouldn�t you be� something else?�
	YOU MIGHT HAVE CONFUSED ME WITH MY SISTERS.
	Without warning or comment, Gendou was someplace else. And judging from
what was happening, sometime else. He was standing on a battlefield,
gazing at the red figure of Unit 02 being butchered by the Series 5
Evangelions. All around him were signs of struggle, from destroyed JSSDF
tanks to slaughtered NERV personnel. 
	TODAY WILL BE/HAS BEEN A BUSY DAY.
	�Then the old men finally act.�
	OF COURSE.
	�And NERV casualties are high, the Children alive and the Eva�s intact?
It will work won�t it. I�ll see her soon, won�t I.�
	PERHAPS. PERHAPS NOT.
	The scene shifted, flashes of images that passed before they could be
comprehended. Ikari heard his son�s voice, conversing softly with Rei�s.
Shinji was choosing something, something important, but try as he might,
Gendou couldn�t make out the words. He finally realized where he was: he
was floating in a sea of LCL, bright crosses of light extending outwards
towards the Geo Front, a black egg hovering above the Earth. Souls
leaving their bodies as coherence could no longer be maintained. 
	�Completion,� he breathed.
	DEATH, his companion commented. ON A SCALE NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON THIS
PLANET. 
	�Nothing can be gained from death, or so I once thought. But I am no
longer sure. Whose scenario will succeed?�
	Death was silent, its gaze fixed on the cataclysm occurring around it.
A hesitance seemed to surround its form, like a man who realized he was
going to much busier than he thought. The stream of images slowed down,
to a trickle. A bright flash, followed by a feeling of absence, as if
something had left his presence, then Ikari�s vision faded to black,
with a single slowly coming to fill his vision. In the darkness, Death
seemed to have disappeared.
	The object before him was vaguely rectangular, with squares cut out at
the corners, forming a cruciform of sorts. Across its front were stains
of blood red, stretching across the center portion of its shape. It
floated before Ikari, gently twisting and turning as if suspended in
water. It was so familiar but from where he couldn�t place. 
	THIS SYMBOL, Death said from Ikari�s side, THIS SYMBOL IS CHRISTMAS.
BUT YOU WON�T FIND IT IN YOUR BOOKS OR YOUR SCROLLS. IT IS A PROMISE,
MADE NOT OUT OF NECESSITY, BUT OUT OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. THIS
IS YOUR MONUMENT TO HUMANITY.
	�You show me these things to change what I will do? To make me abandon
the plan and let the old men of SEELE win?�
	I JUST SHOW THEM, Death said as the image faded.
	�Then I�m the Scrooge of this Christmas carol?� Ikari asked.
	NO, Death said, with a hint of amusement. Then the icy presence
disappeared and Ikari Gendou was in the command elevator heading for
Terminal Dogma.

Epilogue or The Real Scrooge of Tokyo 3:

	Pen-Pen�s outraged squeaks could be heard over the general din of
Misato�s Christmas party as he was dragged from the balcony and shoved
into the spotlight. Misato, heedless to her friends objections, had
decided to dress the penguin up in a manner more suitable to the spirit
of the occasion. So Pen-Pen�s instinctual playing in the snow on the
balcony had been cut short by the inebriated Major�s scheme.
	Shinji, removed from his bed forcefully by a happy Misato an hour or so
earlier, was smiling serenely at the antics taking place in the living
room, half listening to Kensuke and Touji�s witty discussion regarding
Asuka�s close relationship with Satan, while the Demonic Offspring in
question clung to a tired Kaji�s arm. Ritsuko had taken a night off her
research project and decided to shore up her relationship with Misato.
Maya and the rest of the bridge crew were all crowed around the
punchbowl, sampling a variety of the Major�s drink creations. Her lack
of skills in the art of food preparation apparently didn�t extend into
the realm of mixed drinks. 
	Shinji�s gaze drifted from the happy adults, across the plastered Major
and annoyed penguin to the solitary form that was looking out the
window. He found solace in that form, somehow, and before he realized
it, he had joined her next to the window.
	�Hello, Ayanami,� he said tentatively. 
	�Ikari,� she replied simply.
	�I thought you had a harmonics test tonight? How did you manage to get
out?�
	�The Commander let Asuka, Dr. Akagi and I go, with the express orders
to attend this,� she glanced around, a faint glimmer of amusement in her
voice, �party.�
	�Oh,� Shinji said, out of conversational material. �Do you like snow?�
he asked lamely.
	Across the room, Asuka had noticed the exchange and broke off from
Kaji, much to his delight. She walked over to Touji, Kensuke and Hikari
who were holding a Children�s Council in the room�s corner. 
	�Asuka,� Hikari asked as the girl made it over to the kids. �I thought
you had a test today? How did you get to go to the party?�
	�It was strange,� the German girl said, �but the Commander came out of
the elevator in the middle of the tests and told all of us to go. He
looked a little pale, but he said Christmas was no time for us to be
stuck in here. It was a little odd, to see him caring about something as
normal as a holiday.�
	Meanwhile, Pen-Pen squeaked at Misato, angry at being pulled from the
snow. Misato paid him no heed as he continued with the penguin
equivalent of �bah humbug.� 


Apologies to Terry Pratchett for the characterization and capitalization
of Death.

Author's Notes Mark II:
	In digging around the backup stuff I had from the 'Great Computer Crash
of Last Year' I ran across this story which I had been meaning to submit
to FFML last year some time. I guess its better late than never.

jmele@brandeis.edu
www.brandeis.edu/~jmele