Here is the 4th chapter of my Evangelion Fanfic "Wandering Soul".
I have the other chapters posted at http://www.darkscribes.org/articles/365/

C&C is appreciated. And Spoilers abound.

-------------------


    Wandering Soul Chapter 4: Homecoming / Distraction

    By: Lord Legato Deathscythe

    Disclaimer: See part 1


    Misato didn't want to be in that office or anywhere near NERV
central command. There was only one place she wanted to be.


    Right next to Shinji.


    But at that moment, there were two things keeping her from his side.
The first was that despite how much she wanted to be with Shinji, there
was one other person who needed to be with him more then she did even.
Asuka had grown a lot over the last ten years, and had been able to
conquer most of her personal demons in that time. But there had always
been a giant question mark where her relationship with Shinji was
concerned.


    The second reason was staring her in the face at that very moment.


    The UN's special observer, Jean-Luc Bosquet had arranged for their
routine weekly meeting which usually amounted to arguments about
budgeting and the occasional orders from NERV's UN masters. Misato paid
him minimal amount of attention today, and Bosquet could tell she was
distracted. He also knew the reason why.


    Commander Katsuragi hadn't mentioned it yet, but Bosquet had avoided
the issue to see if she would on her own. Considering the subject of the
latest intel his agents had uncovered, he could understand why she
hadn't mentioned the reappearance of Pilot Ikari. He also knew of the
unusual nature of this reappearance; unusual enough to where he hadn't
informed his superiors about it. They would have demanded Pilot Ikari's
immediate arrest.


    Bosquet decided if she wasn't going to bring the subject up, then it
was time to see how far he could lead her until she did.


    "Commander Katsuragi, I am curious as to why the operations and
scientific divisions had become so active in the past few hours. They
seem as if they have something drawing their interests. I don't think
I've seen a group of scientists this active here in quite sometime."


    "The MAGI detected some peculiar readings coming from parts of the
city. Section-1 is trying to figure out if it's some residual influence
from the Angel War," Misato responded. She kept her cool and kept
spinning her cover story as best she could.


    "So the fact that the distortions are originating from the location
Shinji Ikari was reported to have disappeared from has nothing to do
with it?"


    "You're well informed," Misato replied.


    "I'm paid to be. What I'd like to know is how you came across a
young boy who apparently fits Ikari's description at the time of his
disappearance? Anyone attempting to masquerade as the Third Child would
be smart enough to at least try to appear ten years older then Ikari at
the time of his dissapearence."


    "You are very well informed Mr. Bosquet," Misato said, irritated.


    "As I said, I'm paid to be. And don't worry, my overseers at the UN
know nothing of this yet. I wanted to see how your investigation went
before deciding if they needed to be informed. Ikari's disappearance was
one of the biggest mysteries of the Angel War, next to the Angels
themselves. If I may make a request I'd like to observe the scientific
investigation. I'm not here just because of my political connections."


    "I'll arrange it with Dr. Ayanami, I don't think she'll have an
problem with it. As of now, the investigation has revealed that he is
the Third Child. The DNA test came back one-hundred percent match. Even
a clone would have some difference in the DNA structure. Finger prints,
blood work, retinal scans all came back positive. I can even see it in
his eyes..." Misato trailed off, pressing her fingers into the bridge of
her nose.


    Bosquet leaned forward, appraising the Commander, "You took care of
him like he was your own. I understand that very well. I have two
children of my own and I can't even begin to imagine what you are
feeling right now. If the same thing had happened to one of them... then
I don't know what I would have done in your place. But you need to keep
perspective on this. There is always the possibility that this is still
a set up, and that could result in anything."


    "I know that damn it! I've been telling myself that ever since this
nightmare came back to haunt me. When Shinji disappeared I was
terrified. I didn't know if we would find him alive or dead. My one hope
all these years had always been that he had just lost Section 2 again
and headed off somewhere, that he had finally been able to make a life
for himself. Now, that hope is gone because I see him in our infirmary
right now. I know it's him, Mr. Bosquet. I can tell from the way he
acts, the way he moves, how he looks at you with those dark blue eyes of
his. I know in my heart that the boy in the infirmary IS Shinji Ikari.
And nothing could convince me otherwise. Now if you'll excuse me, I have
to arrange for his care until we've completed our investigation."


    Misato rose quickly then left room. She hoped the inspector hadn't
seen the tear sliding down her cheek.


    Which the older man had in fact seen, and smiled.


    "I'm sure you are correct, Commander Katsuragi."

--


    Hikari was worried.


    Actually, Hikari was scared shitless. Asuka had called last night
about something classified at NERV and she hadn't heard anything from
her since. Then Misato calls and tells her that Shinji is back and that
they are busy with the investigation.


    After that... nothing.


    Hikari had gone about her daily routine, calling Touji over to help
set things up to welcome Shinji home, if and when Asuka decided to bring
him back to the apartment. They had gone about setting things up,
cleaning up Shinji's old room and putting new sheets on his bed, though
whether or not the bed would be big enough for him they didn't know.


    Working on the bed had lead to other things involving laying down
and clothe moving about and being tugged, pulled, tossed, and sometimes
thrown right on the floor.


    While Asuka called Touji and Kensuke together the idiot duo, Touji
and Hikari had a different title associated with their relationship by
the German.


    The Perverse Duo. For some reason that completely escaped Asuka,
those two just wouldn't get their hands off each other even if they had
to. It reminded her of the stories she had heard from Misato about the
older woman's college relationship with Kaji.


    That and Olympic gymnastics tournaments.


    It was a wonder that all the precautions and contraceptives they
used hadn't failed from shear over use. Even if they had, Touji and
Hikari would never part ways. They had been engaged for a little over
two years now.


    They just couldn't decide on any of the minor details of the
wedding, things like the date, place, type of service...


    Whether Hikari would wear white.


    But after their hard workout, both had managed to get the apartment
cleaned and ready for a new body to reside within. Touji wasn't worried
about Shinji of all people trying to move in on his girl. If it had been
any other man moving in with the two he would have been raging, even
Kensuke. But never Shinji.


    Both had tended to forget that people change over time, and ten
years was a long time for a person to change in.


    But when they saw him, they would know exactly how little he had
changed.


--


    It had been a well established fact that Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth
Child, had taken over the spot in NERV as the ladies man after Kaji
Ryoji had been murdered. As he had grown, he became the focus of the
eyes of every lady in NERV. But then again, those crimson eyes of his
sought out only one other soul.


    And those crimson eyes had locked on to the crown of red hair he
desired most in the entire Geo-Front.


    "Well, if it isn't the ravishing Capt. Soryu. And how is the lovely
Second Child today?" Kaworu asked, his voice dripping with smooth
confidence.


    "Stick it, Wonderboy," was the response he got.


    How typical.


    Asuka continued on filling out the forms and paper work she needed
for Shinji to be released into her care. The last thing she needed or
wanted to deal with was the other Albino Wonder in her way. She didn't
even want him in her universe, and if she could... she would have
crushed him in the hand of an Eva long ago.


    Asuka had long since let go of her animosity towards Rei. They had
been comrades in arms, and after the trip to Terminal Dogma, she
couldn't hate the blue-haired girl. She still called her Wondergirl on
occasion, but it had become more of a pet name nowadays. Asuka had even
taken "Red Devil" as sort of a nickname. Wondergirl and Red Devil had
become the First and Second Children's call signs after a while.


    That did NOT transfer over however to this pale skinned, gray
haired, red-eyed gigolo. Just thinking of what she had done six months
ago made Asuka sick. Maybe this is how Misato had felt about Kaji after
a while.


    "But my sweet little red-haired goddess, I just heard something
extremely interesting and I wanted to see if you already knew," the
Fifth said.


    "What, did you hear that we finally found a way to colorize you?
Sorry, but I'm afraid the best we can do for you right now is some cheap
markers and a full body dye," Asuka said.


    What she had left off was that she wanted the dye job to actually BE
a "Die" job.


    "No, I heard that the Great Third Child had finally come out of
hiding wherever he's been hold up for the past ten years. And I heard
he's in NERV as we speak," Kaworu said, whispering slowly into Asuka's
ear.


    "Oh that, yes I know all about that. I'm the one that brought him
in."


    "Oh really. Tell me, has ten years finally built a spine into the
little boy? I'm sure by now he's grown into something resembling a man,
but I could be wrong. We all know what kind of man his father was, and
you know what they say. Like Father, Like Son."


    The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang throughout the hallway after
that. Kaworu had crossed a line no one ever dared cross with Asuka, and
she had drawn his blood in retribution. The cut to the Fifth Child's
cheek slowly dripped blood as Asuka glared at him with the force of a
thousand suns.


    "If you ever say that again, even if they were to find your body,
rest assured they would never be able to identify it from what was
left," Asuka said coldly.


    Asuka stalked off after that, leaving the Fifth Child to nurse his
wounds. A wound that had already healed.

--


    Misato slowly waked through the hallway towards Shinji's room. They
had placed him in a nicely lit area in the medical ward. Not one of the
colder sterile rooms that the boy had awoken in too many times before.
As she walked Misato couldn't help but think...


    Think of all the times she walked through the apartment at night and
slide the door to Shinji's room open. There had been times before she
had given Asuka the apartment that Misato expected to see Shinji there.
To see his body lying in bed while he found the only peace he ever did
know in sleep. The neatly folded clothes in the drawers, and the school
uniform set out for the next day by its meticulously tidy owner.


    Shinji's room had been his sanctuary, the one place where he could
find such peace and solace in the nightmares that had plagued the boy in
the real world.


    It was his oasis from the Desert of the real.


    And seeing that empty bed for so long had finally been too much for
her. She had given the apartment to Asuka and Hikari after she had been
named Commander NERV after Fuyutsuki's retirement.


    She looked inside the room, and saw Shinji sitting at the small
table by the window. He was just looking out into the Geo-Front,
watching the artificial environment behind the cool glass of the
hospital window. He seemed for a moment to be at peace, and Misato
didn't want to do anything to break that peace.


    But even her presence would do that. But perhaps...


    Misato knocked on the door to let Shinji know she was coming in.


    When the door was halfway open, Misato stepped through and saw
Shinji looking back at her.


    "Hi, thought I'd stop by and check on you," Misato said.


    "Thank you Misato," Shinji said, and then went back to looking out
the window.


    Misato came in the room and took a seat next to Shinji. She could
tell from the way he looked out the window that he was trying to get the
words put together with the thoughts in his head.


    Finally he spoke, "It still looks the same, just like it did the
other day. I look out there, and I couldn't tell if it were now or ten
years ago. It's almost as if this whole thing never happened, and was
just a bad dream. Then I remember. I remember that it isn't the way it
should be, and that everything changed in a second almost literally. All
I have to do is look at anyone here to know that. I knew almost every
nurse in this hospital after being brought in to it so many times. Now,
I see so many faces I've never seen before, so many faces I once knew.
It's a numbing thing to realize that ten years flashed before your eyes
while only a second passed for you."


    Misato said nothing, but placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. She
could tell that he wasn't finished, so she waited for him to continue.


    After feeling Misato's hand on his shoulder Shinji looked at his
hands as the sat in his lap. A tear slid down his cheek as he continued,
"Asuka told me the war was over, no details though. I should have been
here, not in some limbo while Asuka, Rei, and Touji fought out there to
save humanity. I didn't want to save the world, didn't want to be a
hero. You know that and you know how much I just wanted one piece of my
father's heart to thaw towards me. I thought I had that once, then I
lost that. Now I've lost my place in time. It's one thing to lose
someone you love or someone's love for you. What are you supposed to
feel when you've lost your entire world? I'm scared Misato, but I don't
even think that's what I'm really feeling. I just... " Shinji trailed
off as his voice began to crack.


    Misato got closer to Shinji and wrapped her arm around his shoulder,
"Just?"


    "I just want to know why this happened. I have to know, or I'm never
going to be able to understand."


    Misato and Shinji sat there together for a while as the trees
outside fluttered in the artificial breeze.


    Misato broke the silence after about a minute, "For the last ten
years, I couldn't help but wonder if it was something I did. If
something I did to you made you run so far away that Section 2 was never
able to find you. I was always scared, that I had hurt you in some way
that you could never forgive me for. Now that you're back, like this I
can even place a finger on what my heart feels. I'm happy you're back,
don't even think otherwise. But I'm also scared. I'm scared about what
might happen to you."


    Misato tightened her hold, then released him as she got up and
kneeled in front of his chair. She took his hands in hers and looked
into those dark blue eyes - looking for something. Looking for anything
that would tell her he wasn't Shinji.


    Ten years ago, Misato had gotten a funny feeling looking into those
eyes of Shinji's. They always had the look of a small child scared and
calling for his mother in the dark. After a while Misato had almost
convinced herself that he had been her son, but not quite.


    Looking into these eyes before her now, gave her that same feeling
in her gut and she knew right then that this wasn't an imitator. No one
could imitate the haunted look in those eyes.


    "Shinji, I want you to know this. We are going to find out what
happened to you, and we are going to find out why. I promise you that,"
Misato said, conviction and determination filling her voice.


    Misato pulled Shinji into a hug and held him against her, "I am so
happy you're back now. I don't care what happened, or why, because I am
so happy to have you back. I always felt guilty for not telling you
before, now I get a second chance. I love you Shinji. I love you like my
own child. I've held this for ten long dark years, and I can't let you
leave this hospital without telling you."


    Shinji said nothing, simply melted into Misato's embrace. Slowly he
brought his own arms around Misato and deepened the hold, both of them
falling into a pleasant silence.


    It was a time when words wouldn't do for what needed to be said.


    When Asuka looked in, she couldn't bring herself to break up the
scene. She simply stood back and smiled, and watched a reunion between
two whom could have been mistaken for Mother and Child.


--


    The rest of that day had been taken up mostly by bureaucratic
nonsense and arranging for Section-2 to provide extra security. Misato
had every confidence in Asuka's abilities, but she also realized that
there were limits to what the young woman could handle. Commander
Katsuragi didn't expect any problems, but after last time, she was
planning for the worst.


    Shinji had been kept in one of the lounges near the command section
as not many people frequented it. It was also one of the more
comfortable places in the entire facility. Both Misato and Asuka had
checked in on him through most of the day. On occasion some who had been
there during the Angel War had come to see if the rumors had been true.
Maya has come by, as well as Makoto who had made captain by then. Shinji
hadn't spent much time with either of them before, but he knew they had
been responsible for getting him back home alive.


    As the day passed, some people Shinji hadn't even known had come in
for their scheduled breaks, talking about events of the day and projects
they had been working on. He had been the topic of some of their
discussions, but not because of the rumor mill. Some had wondered how
the boy had even gotten into the lounge, let alone through all the
security. A few had thought he was someone's kid here to see the place.
Little did they know, he probably knew the layout of NERV better then
any of them.


    The work shift had almost finished, leaving the lounge with only
Shinji inside it. Just as the clock turned to 1645, an older gentleman
walked in. It was obvious he wasn't Japanese, though Shinji couldn't
place his lineage. Unlike most of the people that had come in, he was
dressed more as a businessman or a diplomat, Shinji couldn't tell. The
older man ran his hand over his bald head as he picked up a cup of
coffee.


    "Odd, how sometimes time can just drag by, isn't it," he said.


    "Excuse me?" Shinji asked, he hadn't thought anyone aside from the
few who knew him would have even bothered.


    "I was just thinking, about how weird it is when you're waiting for
something to happen... the time just drags by. Sometimes it feels that
time has actually stopped while you wait. Then of course when you're
actually enjoying things, the time just flies by. There never seems to
be enough time to do what we want to do, and too much time to do the
things we don't want to do. Must be a symptom of growing older," he
said. Shinji had already detected the slightly French accent in his
voice. His Japanese had been pretty good, aside from the tone giving
away his country of origin.


    "I guess," Shinji responded as he looked back out the window.


    The older gentleman just drank his coffee, watching the boy. His
thoughts drifted after a while as the clock finally struck seventeen
hundred hours. The older man finished his coffee and placed the mug down
with the other used cups. As he walked out of the room he spoke, "Have a
good day, Mr. Ikari."


    Shinji hadn't paid any attention, but he had never told him his name
either.


    To Be Continued...


    Authors Notes: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out.
I've been fighting with a few scenes and it just hasn't been cooperating
at all. After this I think this chapter is pretty much set. I had
thought of going into getting back to the apartment, but after so long I
felt this was far enough to be a decent chapter. I'll go into more as I
start chapter 4.


    I'm probably going to try to finish this out in about three more
chapters or maybe 5, I don't know yet. There are just too many things to
get into this fic before it's done.


    Pre-readers are: Isamu, Jama, King Alar, Shiguru, Lepermessiah




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