A Quiet, Peaceful Evening

by Melfina Lupin

A night at the Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohyru residence. Shinji's a pervert, Misato is drunk, Asuka is out to kill, and Rei is in the middle of it

A Quiet, Peaceful Evening by Yui

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to other people.

Author's Note: Takes place after Episode 26 and the story line is based on Episode 26's values and reasons. There is a lot of humor, language, and some suggestive dialogue. For this reason, I rate this story PG-15! ^_^ This might be slightly AU. I hope you enjoy. I think you will. It's very funny but then again I might be bias. ^_^ I'm very sorry if the information I give about the evas is wrong. **cries** If that is so, please tell me and I will correct the errors.

~*~*~*~

Father.

Daughter.

Creator.

Creation.

Master.

Servant.

Gendo Ikari.

Rei Ayanami.

From the moment life started the flow through her, Rei Ayanami's sole purpose was to honor and respect Gendo Ikari, her creator. Nowhere in her bones was there a spot of defiance. She had to obey him. Doing otherwise was a foreign concept that she once, only one time, had the pleasure to savor. She revered her creator for the master that he was. She was his servant, his dutiful daughter from the start of her life. But she now she had a keen piece of knowledge that she no longer had a purpose in life.

She had been made for one thing-to pilot the Eva. With the angels all gone, Evas were useless machines. She was a useless machine. Gendo had no want of her. Now she had served her purpose she was useless to him-just like all the others. She should have despised him for that, for his hollow affection. But she didn't. She didn't know how to hate the cold-hearted bastard that raised her like a false child.

Didn't she have any value? Did the thing known as Rei Ayanami have value? She knew that Shinji-Kun was starting to apply that notion to his own life. But what about her? Unfortunately, she didn't know if she had any worth at all. It would be so easy for someone to clone her. That has happen before. Countless 'Reis', soulless dolls, had once been kept but hidden from the world, locked together in a pool. Waiting for her soul. They met their demise at Naoko Akagi's hands. Now there was just one Rei. The last of three. That should have overwhelmed her with a sense of purpose, shouldn't it? She could finally be the girl she wanted to be with no one to stop her.

The world, Tokyo-3, was learning to live again. The sun came, the moon glowed at night, birds sang, people returned and slowly started to rebuild the city. All because the war was over. The headquarters stood halfway empty. The three blessed children no longer came to the building. Shinji and Asuka went to school and fought with each other whenever they could. They still lived together with Misato in her apartment, each trying to heal old wounds with the presence of each other. None of them mentioned it but they liked having each other around. It was like an unspoken bond of a family-a family Rei had never been invited to join. Shinji had often wanted to be with her-as a friend-but she declined. So many things scared her. Friendship, repugnance, the pilot of Unit 02…So many things caused Rei to hide in a corner and let the world pass her by.

"Never thought I would see Wonder Girl grocery shopping!" A haughty voice taunted Rei from behind. Rei was leaning over in an isle, eyes intently searching for the right jar of sauce for her dinner that night on the crowded shelf. She was so preoccupied that she didn't even hear when Asuka walk up behind her, didn't even notice when a dark shower fell over her form, blocking the light.

With a little frown, Rei ignored Asuka, shaking her annoying presence off with a shrug for her shoulders. By her feet was her plastic basket, filled with a loaf of bread and noodles-otherwise known as her dinner.

Rei was getting more accustomed to shopping at the store these days. Though she hated it when things where moved around so that she couldn't find the items for her usual supper of spaghetti, she was usually in and out of the store in five minutes. But with the new arrangement it was taking her twice the time to locate the items. She was in a foul mood, hungry and agitated after an hour of searching for everything she needed. Not at all in the mood to have another confrontation with the hotheaded pilot. Rei hoped that by disregarding Asuka that Asuka would get the message and leave her alone.

It was too much to hope for, Rei assumed when Asuka remained behind her.

"I'm busy, Second Child," she murmured in her customary soft voice. "Please leave me be and return to your own business." With that said, Rei slowly treaded a little more down the isle, bent like an old woman. Stupid sauce, where could it be?

"Oh, are you then?" Asuka mocked. Even though Rei still hadn't turned around to face her opponent, she could just image the Second Child standing behind her, hands on her hips, frowning as usual whenever she was tormenting Rei. She almost imaged Asuka wearing shamelessly short shorts and a brazenly small tank top-all too tiny for her ample bust-for along with the heat of the day Asuka seemed to be shedding more and more clothes. Rei was still donning her innocent school attire and thank God for that.

"The war is over, Wonder girl," Asuka reminded her. Rei rolled her eyes. "There is no need for Children anymore. Call me 'Miss Sohryu' if you wish to address me. But I can understand that if you want to continue to believe that there is still a threat, Wonder Girl. At least you can put up the tirade that you are needed."

Rei frowned again but said nothing. If she had the courage she would have slapped Asuka then. She wasn't playing make-believe. "Don't you put up the same tirade, Second Child? No one needs a pilot who can't even control their own Eva. Those were your words...I'm busy, Second Child," she repeated again, her voice hard before she said anything further to hurt Asuka. "Go away."

With a little sigh, Rei located the sauce and grabbed a jar of it. She winced once more, seeing the familiar color. Red. She hated red but she didn't want to starve. She liked spaghetti, or at least taught herself to, without thinking much of the sauce. She could eat it just as long as she paid no heed to the distasteful coloring of the dressing. Maybe that was why she didn't think much of Miss Sohryu. She stood up, jar in hands, and was about to put in her the basket when Asuka kicked it away from her with the tip of her shoe.

"Bitch," Second hissed angrily from behind her.

Rei automatically straightened up, lips pressed together, the obvious last line of her patience. She shot an apathetic death-glare to the redheaded brat behind her before making her way down the clean isle to her basket. She reached down to retrieve the basket and place the jar safely inside the plastic walls.

"Hello, Ayanami!" A quiet voice caught both girls off guard. Hearing that it came from behind her like Asuka had, Rei immediately became appalled at her unladylike position and blushed something fierce. She quickly straightened up, her spine almost snapping. She was all but mooning poor Shinji-Kun! She quickly grabbed her basket and turned around, not giving him a second look at her rear.

"He…Hello, Shinji-Kun," she managed to get out. For the sake of keeping face, she kept her eyes glued to the floor. It would be double embarrassing to have him see her blush. "H..how are you?"

"Fine," Shinji replied with a smile before glancing sideways at his roommate. "Was Asuka bothering you?"

Asuka rolled her eyes and moved to smack Shinji in the face with his own baseball cap. "Keep you mouth shut, little boy," she jeered at him like a mother, tossing him back his hat with a flick of her wrist. Rei looked up at them through her lashes and saw Shinji scowl at Asuka as she left the isle and quickly replace his hat.

"Sorry about Asuka, Ayanami," Shinji told her. "She is trying to show off like usual."

"Like always," Rei replied coolly. "But I should apologize to Second Child. I think I hurt her feelings."

"She will get over it, Ayanami," Shinji immediately replied. "She always does."

Rei finally gad enough courage to raise her eyes to Shinji and bow her head in greetings, her face softening just a bit. Shinji blushed. It wasn't very often that he saw his friend look at if she were going to smile.

"Do you shop here often, Ayanami?" he asked, trying to cover up the nervous warmth in his face.

"Almost everyday."

"Oh…" Rei watched him look down at his feet and stuff his hands in the pockets of his jean shorts. She thought that was an odd reaction and looked at him, her confusion apparent.

"Does that upset you, Shinji-Kun?" she asked.

"Oh no!" Shinji countered, his eyes shooting toward her face. "I was just going to ask if you need any help getting stuff." He blushed again and looked away. "I just wanted to help you. Misato is busy getting our groceries so Asuka and I are just wandering around."

"It was a gracious offer, Shinji-Kun," Rei told him, her voice sweet and soft. It was almost like a whisper. "But I'm done."

"Do you…um…want me to walk you to the check-out lines then?" Shinji murmured to the ground.

Before Rei could reply to his suggestion, Misato appeared behind Shinji. He didn't see her until she deliberately pushed him in the back with the loaded cart. Shinji stumbled forward, almost losing his footing as Misato said with an intoxicated laugh, "Move it, boy! You're blocking my way." She obviously didn't notice Rei.

"Misato!" Shinji remarked with a strained voice, straightening up. His cheeks were on fire with embarrassment.

Misato continued to snicker at Shinji's discomfort and leaned against the cart, putting her arms across the handlebar. "Aw, did I startle you?" she asked, her voice doubled in sympathy but a little slurred. "Poor baby."

"Gaw, you're just like Asuka, Misato," Shinji remarked, his face twisted into a frown. "And you are rude. Haven't you notice Ayanami just standing there? You should greet her instead of embarrassing yourself."

Immediately Misato's dark eyes snapped to the isle. Seeing Rei standing there, looking at her with her crimson eyes as cool as always, Misato blushed. It wasn't every day that Rei saw her so open. Maybe she had gulped down too many beers. But, hey, they were just sitting there on the shelf, all alone. How could she turn them down? Misato quickly straightened up and bowed a little to the tiny girl in front of her. Even though the fact that Rei was half angel and half human clone, Misato was trying to get pass that and act a little friendlier to the lonesome girl. The war was over and Rei was her own person.

"Hi, Rei," Misato replied. "How are you? Don't you just hate this new arrangement in the store? God, it really has got me all confused. I can't find anything!"

Despite her humor, Misato noted that Rei didn't even smile. There wasn't even a hint on her poised face. Asuka had often remarked how doll-ish Rei was. Misato thought that was unkind to say though it certainly applied to the placid girl now. Nothing seemed to faze her! She seemed to be just like a robot. So much for being friendly, Misato thought to herself with a quiet sigh.

"Even with a new arrangement, Misato," Shinji murmured, looking into the cart. "You certainly made sure to find the beer. Where's our dinner?"

Misato shot Shinji a death-glare. "Do you want to be smacked?" she asked, her anger only bluff.

Shinji grinned sheepishly before shrugging. "I guess I'll get the instant dinners."

"You are a smart man, Shinji," Misato told him with a satisfying nod of her head.

Shinji turned to leave before he remembered that Rei was still there. She was so quiet that he had forgotten all about her! Inwardly calling himself stupid, he spun around on his heels and looked at Rei. When their eyes met he smiled quickly. But soon a quick blush made him avert his gaze to his shoes again. Rei sure was pretty.

"Say…um…Rei-sama," he began. "If your not busy tonight…would you like…to join us for dinner?" He deliberately shot his guardian a look, telling her not to say a word. Misato got the message and smiled. "It's not much but we would like to have you."

"Please come, Rei," Misato pleaded, shocking Shinji. She was the last one, well almost the last one, he would ever think of being consciously considerate to Rei. That change in Misato's disposition made him want to smile even if she was drunk. "We would love to have you as a guest. Really!"

Shinji looked back at Rei hopefully, his lips carried away with a pleaded smile. He silently prayed that he would find his friend a little, if not a bit, glad about their proposal. What he saw made his nervous smile disappear. Rei looked as if she were a cornered animal and was desperately trying to look for means of escape. He swallowed hard. Maybe it was too much for her, he thought. It has been a long time since they had had her over to the house. He should have been more thoughtful.

"Ayanami, we really would like to have you over," he repeated softly. He hoped that the sincerity in his voice would ease her mind. "It's the least we could do…as friends…"

"I'm not so sure," Rei told him, slowly walking away. "I was planning to eat alone tonight. Beside I'm not sure she would like it."

"Of course she would like it," Misato told Rei with a smile, knowing fully that they were talking about the ever-charming Asuka.

"Like what?" Asuka asked curiously as she appeared next to Misato. Her guardian didn't answer quick enough to suit her, when she turned and saw Rei once more. Her face clearly fell into a snicker. "Oh, you're still here."

"We've just invited Rei over to the house for dinner, Asuka," Misato told her. The red-headed girl looked as if she wanted to scream to vent her rage but Misato moved quickly to stand next to her and place her hand on the back of Asuka's neck, threatening to squeeze hard if she made any protest. "It's so lovely, Asuka," Misato drawling out slowly.

"But, Misato," Asuka began to say, "You hate Wo..." The tight, numbing pressure around the nape of her neck made the words stop coming.

"Rei was good enough to accept our offer," Misato quickly remarked forcefully through her teeth. "Just imagine my three favorite children under one roof." The older woman made a movement to wipe a fake tear away from a corner of her eye with her free hand. "I feel like a proud mother."

"You look as old as one," Asuka murmured under her breath, looking away in disgust.

Misato glared at Asuka in the corner of her eye. "If you want to sleep outside with the bugs, keep on talking, baka," she told the girl, pushing her away. "Now off with you to find our dinner!"

Straightening up, Asuka glared at Misato, Rei, and Shinji before she turned and walked away from the isle with an air of insolence. She was busy muttering something in German as she left. Shinji didn't know what in the world she was saying but it sounded angry. When Asuka had departed, Misato's happy voice brought Shinji back to the situation.

"Rei, since you know this place so well, and you and I both know that men can get easily lost in stores, will you take Shinji and get us some noodles and some ice cream? Since you are coming over, you work for what you eat…or something like that."

"Hai, Katsuragi-sama," Rei quietly spoke up for the first time in several minutes. She placed her basket by a shelf and walked toward Shinji. He looked down as she approached, blushing. "Shall we go, Shinji-Kun?" she asked him, her voice was indifferent and soft as ever.

"Yes! Go!" Misato told them as she walked away, pushing the cart down the isle. "Seek happy days with happy nights."

Shinji watched her leave with an expression on the borderline between confusion and amusement. "Misato, you've been in the beer again, haven't you?"

~*~*~*~

"Damn migraine!" Misato groaned in a murmured complaint as she pressed her forehead into the leather steering wheel of her car. The pain felt as is it was tearing her brain apart. She offered a soft whimper as she turned her head side to side, unpleasantly waking up from her drunken daze. "God, I need an aspirin! Where the hell are they, Shinji?"

"They're in the bathroom, Misato-sama," the young boy told her as he climbed out of the blue car from the passenger's seat. "Like always. How 'bout you go inside and lay down? Asuka, Rei, and me will take care of the food."

Misato glared curiously at Shinji from the corner of her red eyes. "When the hell did you become so… nice, Shinji? Remember you're a boy! You'll be planting flowers in the yard and playing house in no time at all!"

Shinji did take offense to Misato's drunken reproach. He only grinned at his beautiful guardian before turning to the back of the car, no doubt to get the groceries from the trunk. Asuka watched him from her place in the back seat, then turned to Misato.

"You driving like a mad man down the streets didn't help your headaches, Misato," she remarked with an angry snicker. She too got out of the car. "But you drive like a drunk even when you're not smashed!" Her arrogant laugh echoed about the car as she slammed the door and walked to the apartment. "And Shinji has always been a pansy!" she called to them, laughing. With a frown, Shinji watched her go. When he asked if she were going to help, Asuka spun around with stuck out her tongue, properly placing her index finger next to her eye and pulling her eyelid down.

Rei winced at the loud clamor when the door shut with a rattling bang, but Misato all but groaned. She turned her head at the distressed sound of the older woman still whimpering a little and watched with a collected face as Misato repeatedly began to pound her brow into the steering wheel.

"This is hell, isn't, God?" Misato whimpered. "I died in the third impact and this is my punishment, right? To raise a hellcat like Asuka. Isn't this a little too extreme, God? No one deserves this punishment…well maybe Gendo Ikari does, and Ristuko, and that guy who called me a bitch in the movie theater, and that woman who tried to steal my car…and the one person…."

Rei frowned, absentmindedly experiencing the older woman's discomfort. A feeling came over her suddenly and she wanted to help Misato. Actually wanted to. She didn't fight the sensation. Scooting up a little in the leather seat, she leaned against the back of the driver's seat and placed a cold palm on Misato's shoulders where her tank top left bare. She figured that she had startled Misato with this random act because she almost jumped with fright.

Straightening up, Misato turned around. "Oh, Rei," she exclaimed. She was almost breathless as she shrank down in her seat. "I didn't know that you were still in here. I though you had gotten out with Asuka."

Rei didn't take offense to Misato's behavior. "Shinji was only trying to be benevolent with you, Misato-sama," Rei whispered to her. "Even though his gender is male and males are sometimes classified as the indifferent and unemotional gender of the human race, he still is trying to be amiable and kind with you. Why do you ridicule him so? I do not understand."

There was gentleness in Misato's eyes when she smiled at Rei. With a small sigh, Misato reached over and gently rubbed the top of the young girl's head in a friendly gesture. She wasn't even deferred when Rei remained as aloof and calm as ever when she did this. In fact she smiled all the more. The short blue locks of Rei's hair were surprisingly soft to the touch. What was her shampoo? Misato made a note to ask her later. Right now she had to make Rei understand.

"You are a good kid, Rei," Misato told her, withdrawing her hand. "I was only teasing him. He knows that now. I was only saying that because he is one of the few boys that are so smart and kind at his age. Shinji is a jewel. Just don't tell him that, Rei, eh?" Misato winked at the young girl before wincing again. "Oh, this stupid headache. I need a beer!"

"If you tell me where the aspirin is, I will comply to get them for you," Rei offered. Her hands shot to the handle of the door, ready to go with the order. But Misato struggled trying to wave her hand, dismissing Rei's proposal.

"Na, I'll get them, Rei," she murmured, her eyes trailing over Rei's blue head to look at something behind her car. "You help Shinji," she said, nodding a little. "He is trying to carry all the sacks at once. I don't think he knows what gravity is just yet. For a jewel, he's as dense as a rock."

Misato's evil smile caught Rei's attention. She followed Misato's eyesight, turning around in her seat, to see Shinji in the most ridiculous joggling act she had even seen. A smile automatically lit up her poised face.

Shinji was carrying at least three sacks in each of his hands with more under his arms. The poor boy looked like a misfit from the circus. Misato laughed when Shinji started to loose his footing and begin to fall backwards, dropping the groceries to flap his arms like a bird that was suddenly deprived of its wings. In a second, Shinji was sitting on his rear, packages of instant food and beer littering the ground on all sides around him. He was blushing when Asuka, all ready in their apartment, leaned out the window to laugh and point her finger at him. He automatically yelled something up to her, which Rei couldn't hear. This made Asuka laugh all the more before withdrawing into the little flat once more.

Rei watched the window Asuka had been at for a moment before glancing back at Shinji. Their eyes meet instantly and each blushed and ducked their heads down. Shinji was embarrassed of the fool he had made himself out to be while Rei was mortified that Shinji now knew that she had been watching his the whole time. She abruptly sat back down in her seat, her head down, hands nervously clinging to each other in her lap. She felt bad knowing that her infrequent smile had been caused by his accident.

With a slurred chuckle, Misato opened her door and hauled her body out of her car, promptly falling to her rear also. Surprised and alarmed, Rei immediately shot out of her seat to look over the driver's sit to see if Misato was all right or needed assistance. By that way she had seen Misato totter and the intoxicated stupor she knew Misato was still in, Rei thought for sure that the guardian could have severely harmed herself by the fall. It was like Misato feet didn't even support her! When she saw the older woman on her back on the pavement, her lower half of her body still in the car, she knew why she fell. Her legs were still inside.

"Misato!" Rei exclaimed as she opened her door and hurried out. She was careful not to open her door wide enough to collide with Misato's prone body. She quickly knelt beside the purple-haired woman and placed her hands on the side on Misato's face. "Misato-sama, are you all right?"

"What is wrong with Misato, Rei?" Shinji asked, peering at her from behind the car.

"She fell, Shinji-Kun," Rei replied. "Her feet weren't out of the car when she tried to stand up."

"Is she all right?" he asked, climbing to his feet to go to his guardian. The sounds of worry and panic where both in his voice.

"I'm fine," Misato replied before Rei could answer. With a groan, she opened her eyes and sat up. She leaned on her elbows and looked at up at the fading blue sky with squint eyes. "Damn car," she cursed, rubbing the back of her head with her hand.

"Are you all right, Misato-sama?" Rei asked again. "Do you want me to help you up?"

"Please," the fallen woman replied.

Rei wrapped one of her arms around Misato's shoulders, the other placing Misato's arm about her waist. Then, getting good footing on the ground, lifted Misato up gently as possibly. For a young girl barely five foot, she knew Shinji must have believed that she was incapable of helping Misato to her feet, because he stepped forward to take his guardian. But before he knew it, Misato was only ready standing, leaning on Rei for support. Wow, he thought, she sure is strong or Misato's really light. Shinji was leaning more towards Rei's strength.

"Would you like me to help you inside, Misato-sama?" Rei asked. She peered up in the woman she was upholding and waited for her to answer.

"I'm fine, Rei," Misato replied, pulling away from the young girl's aid. She straightened up and winced, again rubbing the back of her head. "Boy, I'm go to get one hellava headache tonight. I need a beer. You guys, get the food. I need to lie down."

"Are you sure, Misato?" Shinji asked, nervously eyeing the older woman.

"I'm fine, Shinji," she repeated again, laughing a little. "I'm be great after a beer! Hurry in with the food, ya hear." With that she moved away from Rei and walked into the building, disappearing after walking through the entrance and closing the door behind her.

With a sigh, Rei closed Misato's car door and turned around. She was going to get the groceries under Misato's command when she noticed that Shinji was blocking her path. He didn't even realize it for he continued to watch the door Misato had previously gone through. Rei looked up at him, noticing how pale he was now. His breathing seemed irregular too.

"Shinji-Kun?"

He acted as if he hadn't heard her. Only when she had repeated his name for a second time, this time a little louder, did he finally look at her. He blushed when he realized how close he stood to Rei but before he could step back.

"What's wrong, Shinji-Kun?" she asked him. Her intent crimson eyes focused solely on him, made Shinji blush all the more.

"It's nothing," he murmured.

"Misato-sama scared you by falling, didn't she?" Rei perceived.

Shinji looked back at her and replied, "Well…yeah, of course, Ayan…I mean Rei."

"I see. Could you please move aside? I must get the groceries before something happens to them."

"Oh…uh…. Sure." Shinji quickly moved aslant to let his tiny friend pass him before he knew what he was doing. He wanted to smack himself. She was their guest for all that was good and holy and he was acting such alike a bear, letting her do all the work. He quickly followed Rei, knelling down on the pavement to collect the mislaid beer and food.

"You know, Rei-chan, I can do this," he told her, placing their dinner back in the rightful sacks. "You're our guest after all."

"I want to help," Rei told him. "It would be wrong to leave all this to you. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself again." She could stop the words from coming. Embarrassed she didn't look up at Shinji but continued to collect the cans of beer.

"Oh…" Shinji's nervous laugh came as he sat back on his heels, running his finger's through his short brown hair. "I remember that you saw me fall."

"I didn't mean too," Rei told him. "Are you all right?"

"Sure," Shinji replied, forcing a smile when their eyes met. "My as…I mean I'm just a little sore. That's all."

He could tell that Rei accepted his answer when he saw her nod before continuing the clean up the mess he had made. Shinji continued to in silence. The worked perfectly together, but the silence was unnerving him. All too soon he was wondering how Rei was doing now that the war was over. He hadn't been giving that topic much thought lately. It was the kind of thing that he felt was sorta off limits. Rei had her reasons for being so anti-social but with the end of the war, she was still determined to live the way she had. Inwardly, Shinji hoped she wouldn't. His contemplation was put on a ridged standstill however when their hands touched when they reached for the same package of microwave-able chili sausages and fried octopus dumplings.

For a fleeting moment Shinji relished in her soft touch. Her skin felt so soft, like satin. He just wanted to run his fingers up and down her skin. But after a second, a harsh reality settled and he quickly pulled his brazen hand away, blushing and cursing himself for him unchaste thoughts of his friend. Rei, on the other hand, acted as if that whole thing was a simply understood accident. She grabbed the package and placed it in a plastic sack along with the others, unmindful of Shinji's blush or his musing of her.

"Rei…." He began slowly. His voice was just audible to the human ear. When she looked at his face he knew that she had heard her. "Um…I…I…was…meaning to ask you…"

"Yes, Shinji-kun?"

"Later…I…I…want to know," he stammered. Licking his lips he glanced up at her through his lashes. Come on, ask her. Taking a deep breath for courage, he said quickly, "Wouldyouletmewalkyouhomeafterdinnertoonight?"

He was breathless by the time he finished. And so nervous he couldn't stand it. Would she refuse him or accept? Rei's gentle smile caught him off guard and he knew he would have fallen flat on his rear again sit it wasn't already sitting down. She had such a beautiful smile; her face looked so sweet she smile.

Before he could have an official answer from her, Asuka's voice interrupted from overhead. Once again she was leaning out the window and shamelessly shouting to them.

"Hey, you two bakas!" she yelled down at them. "What the hell are you doing that there? I'm hungry! What-are you waiting for me to pass out before you bring up the food! God, you guys are so slow! A snail got probably beat your asses!"

No places seemed improper for shouting with Asuka. Shinji thought that if she could get away with yelling, she'd be doing just that every minute of everyday. What a headache he would have! Though he knew that Asuka could be sweet and good when the demon inside of her was out, he could tell that she was purposely trying to be a witch that night.

"Ama," Shinji murmured under his breath as he mounted his feet.

He assumed that Rei would follow but when she didn't he look back at her. She was still sitting on the ground, her legs tucked beneath her, with such a confused expression on her face as she looked at him. He immediately reddened, mortified at his quick tongue. He could help it. He normally wouldn't cuss when Rei was near him; and him calling Asuka a bitch right in front of her was completely disgraceful. Still Rei didn't choose to defend Asuka or berate him for his behavior. He was immensely glad for that. Rei only climbed to her feet in his delayed wake, holding half of the sacks while he held the rest.

"Shall we go, Shinji-kun?"

"Um…yeah," Shinji replied, slowly coming back to earth. Gesturing to the door with his chin, he turned around and began to walk to the apartments. "Come on in, Rei-chan." As a second thought he added, "Please don't think bad of us if the apartment is messy. With the war and all we haven't had much time to clean."

Shinji held the entrance door open for Rei to go in first. With he head lowered, he watched her walk over the threshold and into the main hallway of the apartment building from behind the door. He closed it and moved next to Rei.

"You're home is your home, Shinji," Rei told him quietly as she walked behind him while they made their way to the near-by elevator. "A home is intended to make its owner comfortable and at ease at any cost. Don't think I would be offended if it is disorderly in some way."

Shinji laughed nervously as they headed into the empty stomach of the lift. "It usually isn't messy," he told Rei, feeling the elevator beginning to lift beneath his feet. "I usually end up cleaning it. I've just got side-tracked with school and stuff."

"And Misato-sama and Second Child do not help you with the cleaning, Shinji-kun?" Rei asked him, shooting a confused glaze his way.

Shinji moved his head to the side, his lips twisted to a side as if in deep thought. "They help when they can," he told her slowly, his eyes raised to the ceiling. "Misato does when she's bored without a hangover. Asuka cleans her room and the bathroom so that helps me a lot. She doesn't want me to touch her stuff. She'll yell at me if I do so I don't bother."

"That seems unfair, Shinji-kun," Rei told him. "Do you think so?"

Shinji only shrugged. "I really don't mind," he replied. "It doesn't bother me much. But its kinda a downer when it seems like I'm the only one who does anything and they take everything I do for granted. That really sucks."

"I don't take you for granted, Shinji-kun," Rei quietly whispered from her side of the corner.

She had spoken much more softly than usually that Shinji didn't know if she had spoken in the first place. He thought to ask her to repeat herself when he went against that idea and let the whole thing blow over. Maybe he was jus mistaken or maybe he was dreaming. However he knew that he was not hallucinating when Rei slowly raised her eyes to him and smiled ever so softly at him. Shinji's heart felt as though it suddenly stopped. He held his breath, closed his eyes, and looked away, hoping that the feeling would subside. He made the strange reaction only a gesture to see what floor they were on. He didn't want Rei to think he was wigging out on her.

Was this dream? Was he suffering from the heat? Two smiles from Rei in a single evening? That notion seemed too phenomenal for him to handle that he couldn't believe it. He looked back at her after a moment, cheeks burning. Her smile was still there, drawing his eyes to her pale white face. He didn't resist the warm aria of gentleness that surrounded them which radiated from her. She looked so much like a normal girl when she smiled at him. Someone he could only vaguely remember.

Who was she?

The door of the elevator parted down that middle and opened. Shinji was brought back from his thoughts by the movement. With an anxious smile he said, "This is our stop, Rei-chan." Moving from the belly of the hoist, they walked down the square shape passage way, the middle an open void, to the door of the Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohyru residence. The walked in silence while the sounds of the evening slowing made its way to their ears from the aperture.

"Finally!!" Asuka yelled at them from the doorway. She was obviously waiting for them. As Shinji and Rei neared, Asuka shot from the doorway and grabbed a sack from Shinji, almost disrupting the rest from their secure hold in his clutches. She ungracefully opened up the bag, rummaged through it like a gluttonous child on Christmas morning, before finally pulling out a package of instant food. With a little laugh of victory, Asuka threw Shinji the sack before running inside the apartment. "Lookie who gets to eat first!" She sang on the top of her lungs as she made her way to the kitchen area.

From inside the apartment, Shinji and Rei could her Misato shout back, "Urusai, kono bakayaro!"

Turning his back on the verbal fighting in his apartment, Shinji offered a tiny smile when he looked down at Rei. "Welcome to my home, Rei-chan."

~*~*~*~

Dinner at the Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohyru residence would have been enough to drive the devil to bang his head against the nearest wall. Asuka was loud, Misato was drunk, and Shinji was constantly talking back to Asuka, telling her to shut her mouth. Try as she might, Rei couldn't hold onto her stony expression for longer. By the end of the evening, she was having the time of her life. For the first time in her life.

Just within two hours at their home she left cherished and part of Shinji's family. It was a foreign concept that, but Rei eagerly welcomed it. Her friends held nothing back. Misato was so laid-back that she didn't seem like the military woman she had been in the past operations of NERV. Asuka was constantly hounding Shinji with her crude remarks of the pictures of nude woman he had in his room. Shinji didn't seem so innocent to Rei anymore. Asuka embarrassed him, his high blush was all the evidence Rei needed to conclude that fact, before he told Asuka, in a near shout, to shut her jealous thin-ass mouth. And told her how much of a bitch she could be on her period.

Now it was Asuka's turn to become self-conscious. Angrily she glared at Shinji and told him to shut up after punching his arm. Shinji was too busy laughing to care about the pain. Then she saw Rei's tiny little smile in the corner of her eye. That was when her control snapped. Standing up, Asuka screamed at Rei, "Well at least I can have my period, Wonder Girl! Unlike you, who will never grow into a B-cup and will never have the chance or the body to get fucked by someone. But if you are so desperate, just get Gendo to screw you. Even though you are an angel he won't care. You got that bastard following like a dog in heat, Ayanami. And I bet you like it too."

That was about all Rei could endear. As calmly as possible, she laid her chopsticks down on the table with trembling fingers by her empty bowl of soup and climbed to her feet.

"I should go," she whispered in her monotone voice to no one in particular for her gaze was directed to the floor as she bowed. Her voice was quieter than usual. "Thank you for the dinner." She wanted to run to the door and leave as quickly as possible. Asuka had brought up so many points that she didn't want to think about on such a nice evening. But, biting back her own fears, she turned and started to walk to the door as apathetically as she could. A calm hand on her arm and a stir of a body behind her accompanied by a hard slap and a gasp of anger stopped her.

Rei turned her eyes to the left to see that Shinji was the one who had touched her. His eyes were so dark and meaningful as he stared up at her. He didn't talk and neither did she as if a silent ghost had bonded their spirits and their hearts. Then the moment was over as Rei turned to see what else had happened. Misato had slapped Asuka. The older woman had moved so quickly too that the redheaded girl was all but stunned.

"For once, Asuka," Misato hissed at the girl, "if you can't behave yourself, I will kick your ass out of this apartment. I've put up with all your cruel and selfish tactics but I'll put my foot down tonight. Rei is our guest, Asuka. If you don't want to be anywhere near her, then go to your room."

"You aren't her mother!" Asuka suddenly shrieked. Her face was twisted with fury and unshed tears. "Why are you taking her side!"

"Because no one else will!" Misato snapped back.

"She is just a stupid doll!"

"Shut up, Asuka!" Shinji quickly shouted at the girl before Misato had a chance to open her mouth. Rei started at the three people in surprise. Where they actually sticking up for her for once?

Asuka frowned at Shinji for a moment, her eyes clouded over in disgust and hatred. "I hate you!" she cried, shaking her head and sending her long hair flying over her shoulders. "I hate you. I hate you all!" With that, she fled from the room and disappeared into her own quiet bedroom.

A strange silence followed her dramatic exit. Rei watched the spot where the other girl had once stood. She was too perplexed to do anything, to say anything. Standing, Misato heaved a sigh and threw herself back into her seat. She grabbed her can of beer and gulped it down as though she hadn't drunken anything in a long while. Shinji lowered his head and pretended to eat his soup. Rei was surprised by their lack of concern about their fellow roommate. She didn't say a word as she moved away from the table to Asuka's closed door.

"Rei?" She had acquired Shinji's astonished attention when she had walked away from him but she didn't give him any notice Without so much as a look, Rei exited the living room, her footsteps as light as snow.

From behind Asuka's closed door she heard the faint sounds of a video game and angry taps of the buttons on the controllers. Rei sighed and knocked.

"Atchi ni ikeyo! Leave me alone!" was the desperate cry from inside the room. Rei didn't heed the plea. Instead she slowly rolled the door open and stepped inside. She closed it behind her and quickly sat down, her legs tucked underneath her, her back close to the door.

Across the unlit room she saw Asuka. Her quivering back was toward her as she forcefully battled against the enemy in the game. The room was dark and the light was the television was a harsh blur. Occasionally Rei heard a soft sniffle but that was it. It was like Asuka didn't even know she was there; or if she knew she didn't care.

"I told you to go away," Asuka muttered, not taking her icy blue eyes away from the screen.

"I can't leave you," Rei replied. Her voice was like a tiny stream compared to the sea of depth in the other girl's voice.

"Now I'm getting sympathy from a doll? Oh, great!"

Rei stiffened. "I'm not a doll, Asuka," she whispered to the other girl. "I am me."

"Whatever. Who would honestly think to kill themselves if told to do so by a commander? No one but a mindless doll."

"You are wrong, Asuka," Rei countered. "I'll never follow anyone's rules anymore."

"Have you told Gendo Ikari about your plan, Wonder Girl?" Rei heard the mockery in Asuka's voice.

"To me, Gendo is dead."

"Can you leave now?" the other impatiently asked.

"No."

"Oh, so you have come to save the day," Asuka jeered angrily. "Whatever. You and I both know that you hate me, Wonder Girl. You don't have to lie to yourself."

"You are the only one who is lying," she whispered.

"What in the hell do you mean by that?!"

"Yes, I am an angel," Rei quietly told her, recalling her angry outburst. "But I am also human too. I'm a creation from Yui and Lillith. Because of how I was made I know that I can never bled. My body will never change unlike yours. Don't you know how much that hurts? I will stay the same while I watch you change. I want to be jealous but I know I can't be. I'm happy for you, Asuka." Rei paused for a moment. Her head was lowered so that she missed Asuka flinching in pain. "And as for Gendo, he doesn't love me. He doesn't need me. I have done my job and he has no purpose for me any longer. I was only created to the dummy system. How can a clone like me ever deserve love or intimacy? The people who made my sisters and me didn't think I could be used for anything but the dummy system so they formed my anatomy differently. Have you ever considered that? This burden is mine, Asuka, not yours. Please don't remind me of it."

A heavy silence devoured the room. Asuka stopped playing and Rei stopped talking. She was a little worried though. She had opened herself up to the girl who hated her the most and feared that her words would be thrown back in her face now or later. Still, Rei wanted to at least try to have Asuka understand, even for a little bit.

Finally Asuka stirred. "This game is pretty hard, Wonder Girl. I can't get past this level." She turned around from her place before the television and held the controller out to Rei. "Wanna try? Though I doubt that you are any better than I am."

A soft smile on Rei's mouth surprised both of them and she slowly moved toward Asuka. "If I can help you, Second, I will," she said as she took the controller from the other girl. "Arigato."

"Whatever," Asuka replied, moving over a bit to that there would be enough room for Rei. "Just don't kill me."

~*~*~*~

An hour passed before Shinji saw Rei and Asuka again. It was a dreadful hour mostly spent restlessly pacing around in the living room and sweat-dropping. What were those two girls doing anyway? The two of them would never actually want to spend time with the other. What if Asuka had killed Rei? Even though that thought was absolutely crazy it seemed like the perfect solution to everything.

Misato was on the couch, beer in one hand and the remote to the television in the other. She gave the impression of a lazy cat and her expression was that of boredom as she flipped through the channels. Shinji at once was envious at her apathetic behavior.

"Damn it, there is nothing on!" Misato complained, taking a low sip of her drink. "Shinji, stop being a pervert and leave Asuka's room alone. Why don't you just sit down beside me and watch something with me?"

"I'm not a pervert," he grumbled, blushing brightly as he slowly moved away from Asuka's room. He tried playing his snooping in his friend's room by going to the kitchen every five minutes for so. He didn't know that Misato had long since caught on to his game. "Besides, you just said there was nothing on the television. I'd be better off in my room."

"If you were in your room, then you'd miss your chance on spying on the girls," Misato replied. "Besides they have to come out sooner or later. There isn't a bathroom in Asuka's room."

"What time is it?" Shinji asked, looking out the near-by window to see that dark had fallen. "It's probably late. Pin-pin is already asleep in the freezer."

"Lazy penguin," Misato muttered into her beer can. After she had taken another drink she glanced at her watch. "9:30 with nothing on the TV. Damn this is so boring! I ought to get me a man or something."

Shinji smiled, laughing at his guardian.

"You should do that more often, Shinji-kun," Misato told him.

"Do what more often?"

"Smiling. You're a cute boy. Thank God, you don't look like your father. I'm surprised that you don't have a girlfriend. I'm mean you're a nice boy and all. Cute, a little wimpy but…"

"Hey!" Shinji broke in. "I controlled an Eva and saved the world and you call me a wimp?"

Misato winked at him. "Duh."

"Oh, now I know why you don't have a boyfriend, Misato."

"How's that?" the woman asked, watching Shinji with a suspicious look in her eyes.

"You are a pretty woman. I'm mean your outgoing and all. Smart, a little old but…"

"Hey!" Misato laughed. "Be nice!"

"Come on! You can be my mom!" Shinji smiled. "Or should I start calling you 'grandma'?"

"Well you are lucky to have such a hot babe as a mom then, Shinji."

"Whatever. The only reason I have friends is because they just want a chance to stare at you! You've ruined my life!"

Misato laughed as Shinji pretended to break down and cry. "Ha! That's what you get when you call me old!"

"Misato! You've made Shinji cry again!" Asuka's voice entered the living room from her bedroom. "What a crybaby!"

"Why is Shinji-kun crying?" Rei quiet voice followed Asuka's.

Shinji's embarrassment was a bright as a sunburn as his eyes quickly snapped to Asuka's doorway. At his side, Misato was laughing up a storm. He ignored her but his humiliation didn't. Asuka was frowning in the doorway while Rei started at Shinji with concern only showing in her eyes.

"Uh, I was only playing around, Rei," he stammered. "I wasn't really crying."

"Then why were you?"

"Uh…" His mind came to blank.

"Because he was flirting with Misato, the little perv!" Asuka answered.

"I was not!"

"Usotsuki!"

"So humans cry when they are sad, or happy, or flirting?" Rei looked so confused that Misato started to giggle behind her tightly held lips.

"Not exactly, Rei," Shinji started. "Misato, stop that!"

"Sorry, Shinji-kun! Oh boy, this evening is so fun. You guys should invite Rei over more often!" After that, the older woman so nobly tried to stop her fit of laughter but her shoulders still shook.

"Are you guys done trying to get into each other's pants or does Rei have to walk home on her own?" Asuka asked. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned at the two on the couch.

Shinji quickly looked over at Rei. "Are you ready to go home?"

The blue-haired girl nodded. "It's getting late."

"Why don't you spend the night?" Misato asked. "You can have my bed."

Rei smiled a little. "Some other time maybe, Misato-san," she whispered.

"Alright. Shinji, do you want to walk Rei home? You need the exercise."

"Sure." Shinji climbed to his feet. "Asuka, do you want to come with us?"

"No."

"So I'll have to walk home alone?"

"Do worry, baka. No one will kidnap you," Asuka snapped. "Besides I'm in such a delicate situation. I shouldn't be walking all over town ya know."

"And what's that, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "Did you just throw up your dinner?"

Asuka made a fist with her right hand. "Come say that to my face and you will be talking out of your ass for a month."

"I'm fine were I am."

"Chicken."

"Maniac."

"You know, Shinji, you might want to walk Rei home now. We don't have any flashlights and the city's streetlights are only half redone. Don't want to be alone in the dark."

"Fine, Misato. Rei?"

"Yes, Shinji-kun?"

"Let's get out of this hellhole."

There was a little smile on her pale lips as Rei joined Shinji. He led her to the door where they slipped on their shoes.

"Bye, Rei!" Misato and Asuka said that the same time in the living room.

"Oyasumi nasai. Thank you very much for the evening," Rei replied as she bowed in the hallway.

"No problem," Misato told her from the couch. "Come over again whenever you want to. The door will be open."

"Thank you."

With that said, Shinji and Rei both left the apartment.

~*~*~*~

"What's in the bag, Rei?" Shinji asked his friend. They were already halfway to Rei's home and this was the first thing he had said to her. The dark air and the came silence of the night had filled in what the lack of conversation didn't.

"Asuka was kind enough to lend me some of her clothes," she told him as she walked. "She said that she couldn't fit into them anymore and it would be good for me to have something else to wear besides the school uniform."

"That was nice of her," Shinji replied. "I wonder what's got into her."

"She isn't sick, Shinji. So don't worry."

"Why would I worry about Asuka?"

"Because she is your friend."

Shinji didn't say anything for a moment. "So what did you do after you went into her room? I heard her yell."

Rei shrugged. "I helped her play her video game. It was about war and some flag. I didn't get it but Asuka seemed to enjoy it."

"Asuka likes any video game that has blood and guns in," Shinji laughed.

"It made me glad to have the Evas," Rei told him. "The game was based upon what war was like before the Second Impact. It was too bloody and so many people lost their lives. With us, it had only been us three to fight against the angels."

"Misato and the others fought too, Rei. Not the way we did but they put all they had in the battles. They were the ones that kept us alive, not the Evas."

"Of course, Shinji-kun. Without them, we would have lost."

Silence came again. The only sound was their footsteps on the pavement as they walked and the rustle of the wind blowing through the new trees. The night was a clear one and Shinji could see all the stars in the dark sky. Was this even the same sky that loomed over the earth the day of the Second Impact? It was so hard to believe.

"Shinji, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"When did you learn that you had value?"

"After Instrumentality," Shinji said quickly, as though he wanted to get the word out before the pain came.

"Was it hard?"

"Was what hard?"

"Finding your life worth living for?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask, Rei?"

"Do you think I have value?" she questioned.

"Rei…" In the white moonlight, Shinji started to see his friend in a different light. She looked so sad, so frail in the night like the slightest of wind could blow her over. She suddenly wasn't the stone-cold, quiet one always sulking in the corner. Now she was the girl too delicate to live and too inexperienced too to exist on her own.

"I'm just a doll but do you think my life is worth something?"

"You aren't a doll, Rei."

She smiled at him, her eyes warm at the force behind his kind words.

"You are you."

"I am me…" she whispered to herself.

"All things have value. Although you don't see it, you have impacted me to the point that you are the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing of think of when I go to bed. You are my friend, Rei."

"Thank you."

"You can't live on your own anymore," he told her despite the blush in his face. "You need others to see who you are."

"I do?"

"Yes. You can't run from the world. You have to face it some day. Just like I did."

"I wasn't made to live like normal people."

"You were made of the Evas. Now that there is no more use for the Evas, do you think that you will be buried along with them?"

"I don't know."

"Rei, the Evas are gone. They don't have a life to control them now that we don't pilot them. But you are still here. You are still living. I think…I think you should continue what you are doing now. You can't let you life be ruled by the Evas."

"You are right, Shinji-kun."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I got carried away. It's just that…that I believe you can do anything that you set your mind to. And I don't every want you to think you aren't worth something. Thinking that you aren't worth something makes you lonely and scared to live."

"You are speaking from your heart."

"I guess I am," he said, smiling sideways down at her.

"You have a good heart, Shinji-kun. Thank you for telling me all of this."

"You're welcome," he murmured.

They were almost to her apartment building. Even from across the street, he could see how broken down it was, how worn. Why didn't she just move? How could Rei leave there? There was hardly anyone out tonight, so they crossed the street without looking.

"Thank you for walking me home, Shinji," she told him softly as she opened the door to the building. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me."

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night, Rei. See ya at school tomorrow."

Rei smiled at him as she moved over the threshold and closed the door behind her. Shinji sighed before turning around and making his way home.

The End

Author's Note: I wrote this a while back. I wanted to add on to the story but when I read it a couple days ago, I didn't think that was a good idea. I like the story the way it is. How about you? Good? Horrible? I like reviews too. ^____^

Japanese Translations: (My apologies if they are incorrect)

Hai-yes

Ama-bitch

Urusai, kono bakayaro-shut up, you noisy idiot. (I like that one)

Atchi ni ikeyo-go away

Usotsuki-liar

Oyasumi nasai-good night

Arigato-thank you