Shinji was not prepared for the sight that would greet him as he returned home one brisk December day. He'd been out with Aida and Touji (they'd convinced him to try playing a few rounds of an old game called "basketball") and had not realized how late it had gotten. He figured Misato would be angry with him for being so late.

He arrived at home and opened his door. The apartment was a mess, nothing unusual. At least, that is what he thought until he took a closer look. In actuality, the typical clutter of the apartment was gone, and instead it was replaced with bows of evergreen, strings of little lights, and a great green fir tree lying in several parts on the floor. Misato was humming cheerfully as she attempted to assemble the tree, Asuka and Pen Pen were carefully unpacking various shiny balls and trinkets from boxes.

Misato looked up at him and smiled "Welcome home Shinji! You're late for helping with our Christmas decorating!"

"Christmas?" Shinji asked, surprise in his voice. "You celebrate Christmas?"

"Of course we do Shinji-chan. Especially at a time like this, when we really do need miracles," she grinned. "Do me a favor and check these lights to see if they work. And put yourself a glass of eggnog!" She waved her hand in the direction of a pitcher and some glasses sitting on a table.

Shinji moved forward to examine the contents of the pitcher. It was a thick, off white mixture, but it smelled pleasant enough, so he poured himself a glass. It was sweet and he thought it might be mildly alcoholic, but if Misato had prepared it, he wouldn't be surprised. He went about checking all the strands of light, replacing bulbs and fuses as he went.

Shinji was confused. For days, Misato and Asuka had been devoting most of their free time to decorating the apartment, and he had helped as best he could. But despite hours of singing sappy christmas songs and drinking eggnog, he still was didn't understand what it was they were celebrating. He knew the story about the birth of Jesus, God's son, but he was uncomfortable with the tales, as they reminded him of his unabated confusion as to the origins of the angels. Now it was Christmas Eve, and he had been talked into lugging a tiny tree and some real food (Misato had decided to buy dinners precooked, as she knew her own attempts would be less than successful). over to Rei's apartment.

Nervously, Shinji rang the bell. He remembered with some embarrassment what had happened the last time he had been cajoled into bringing something to Rei. The door opened, and he was met by Rei's quiet face.

"Yes?" she asked him.

"I brought you this." he started. "It's from Misato. She said to wish you a Merry Christmas." She moved to one side to let him in. He moved aside some papers off of a small table and set the tiny tree there, installed the battery, and flicked it on. For a moment, Rei seemed to smile as she glanced at it. He handed her the tray with the food, and she turned to put it in the kitchen.

"Tell her," Rei began softly, "tell her I said thank you." As Shinji turned to go, he felt the floor rock and shake. Suddenly all the lights went out and the electronic door slid shut. Rei fell to the ground with a small gasp, and Shinji struggled to keep his balance.

"Rei! What's happening?" he turned to the door, to open it and get them out, but he found he could not. "Rei! The door won't open!"

Rei suddenly grabbed the phone out of his pocket, and dialed it. She spoke for a few moments, and then hung up.

"It's an angel attack. Misato said to stay where we were, that the angel seemed to be focusing its attack directly in our path." Shinji could almost imagine Rei's disappointment at not being able to pilot her Eva.

"Well then, I suppose we'd better get comfortable," Shinji said, after a long silence. He righted the little tree and switched it on again, to provide them with some light. It glowed merrily, even in the fearful darkness of the angel's attack. He offered Rei a plate of food. "Shall we eat?"

At Nerv HQ, Gendou was fuming. This attack was not supposed to be happening. It had to stop immediately. "Deploy Asuka in EVA 02!" he braked at Misato. The preparations began. On the scanner, the angel loomed large. It seemed to have great wings of fire, and ice crunched where it's cold feet stepped. Asuka would have to do some pretty impressive piloting to destroy it.

Shinji and Rei sat in the dim light of the tree, both of them not saying much. Then finally, Shinji broke the silence.

"Rei? Do you understand Christmas?"

Silence for a moment. Then "No. I do not."

He relaxed a bit "I'm not the only one then."

Unit 02 was getting a pounding. Asuka was doing her best, but it just wasn't enough. She felt the pain begin to numb though, as the injuries to her Eva began to shock her system. She fell. Suddenly though, the angel ceased it's attack. It turned away from her and looked up to the sky. She tried to get to her feet, slowly, and as she did, the angel beat its wings in great strokes, suddenly rising to the ground, where it burst into the flames of a star. Asuka finally made it to her feet.

"Well done," Gendou's voice rang in the entry plug. "Now please go extract Rei and Shinji". She walked slowly towards Rei's apartment building, eyes flickering back to the beautiful new star in the sky as she did.

Shinji and Rei heard the angel's footsteps very close now. They both knew what was coming, and instinctively huddled together in preparation for what they thought would be there death. Suddenly, and eye peeked into the window. As it did, the phone rang. Shinji answered it.

"He... hello?" he managed to stammer.

"Hentai!" Asuka's voice rang out "I'm off fighting angels, and you're here being close to Rei!" Shinji gulped, but she continued "Here, I'll pull out the window, and we'll get you out of here."

Later, at headquarters, Gendou put down the document he had been reading. He frowned, as the angel's attack was a mystery to him, he decided it was best to pretend it hadn't happened.

Meanwhile, Shinji finally understood about Christmas. Christmas, he realized, was not about religion. It was about life. It was a celebration of survival, of the everyday miracles that made things possible. And he realized that had brought him the biggest miracle of all. He hugged Misato and Rei and Asuka each in turn, smiling, greatful for his miracle.//

Quickening Eleanor Phoenix~
(aka Firebird, 'Mechwarrior)
denton@ cs.hope.edu
Quickening@thePentagon.com
http://www.cs.hope.edu/~denton
telnet://brockhouse.com:6000