All right, I want to thank those that have reviewed. I'm going to try a different paragraph style, as was recommended by Razgriz, and see how it feels. If I don't like the way it reads, or others seem to like the way it was, then I'll go back. Be forewarned that this chapter contains language, suggestive acts, and violence, also there is WAFF towards the end... but what do you expect?

Disclaimer is in Chapter 1, read it, memorize it, cause I'm not reposting it.

4

Asuka and Shinji continued their walk back to the apartment. As they crossed the last intersection before the apartment Shinji noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. That's when it hit her, a steel pipe that is, slammed into the back of her right leg, sending her to the ground with a cry of pain. Two guys jumped out of the shadows and grabbed Shinji by the arms and held him securely, two more came out and surrounded Asuka, one still wielding a pipe. The leader of the gang came out, Shinji recognized him instantly, his name was Techi Kotaru, known throughout the school to have a temper rivaled by no one, and also a major crush on Asuka. Shinji knew Techi had asked her out shortly after she arrived in the school, he also knew she shot him down. Techi had been outraged, then when it became common knowledge that Shinji and Asuka lived together, that drove him over the brink.

He had been following them for several weeks, watching and waiting for the right time to make his move and make her sorry for making him look like an ass in front of the whole class. "Well, well what do we have here?" he asked as he looked over at Asuka lying on the ground crying while she held her knee. "A stuck up bitch..." he spat at her "... and her little play toy" he turned to face Shinji sizing him up "You said no to me for this little piece of shit?" he asked to no one in particular, his cronies chuckled as Shinji struggled to get loose. "None of that now." Techi said as he delivered a sharp blow to Shinji's mid-section, knocking the wind out of him. He slumped forward as he attempted to gain his breath. One of the guys pulled his head up by his hair so he could see forward. "Now it's time for a little pay back." Techi said as he kicked Asuka in the knee, she screamed in pain as his foot made contact with the broken joint.

Shinji caught his breath quickly and shouted "Asuka, no!" but the assault continued with another kick to her stomach.

Techi laughed as he turned towards Shinji, "Now you'll watch as I take this little bitch and have my way with her, then we'll finish you off, a little insult to injury if you will." he turned towards Asuka and started to pull her pants off while two of his goon's held her hands down.

"STOP!" Shinji yelled "Let her go, or you'll never see the light of day." he stated, he wasn't sure where section 2 was, but he couldn't wait for them anymore.

Techi looked at Shinji like he had lost his mind, "Are you kidding me?" he asked with a grin on his face, "The way I see it, you're never going to see the light of day, we have you out numbered punk, and there is no one that's going to save you now."

The gang all started laughing as Shinji hung his head, he had to stop thinking about the situation and just act, it was what their Sensei had always told them. With a move that was barely seen Shinji brought his left boot straight up and kicked the man holding him square between the eyes, knocking him out cold. Freeing up his left arm he brought it around and chopped the other in the throat, a small crack could be heard as the members windpipe collapsed from attack and he hit the ground gasping for air. The two holding Asuka down rushed Shinji from both sides, he simply back stepped and the two guys ran into each other, Shinji crouched down and punched them both in the knees, they both screamed in pain as their knees shattered with the impact. The two started crawling away from Shinji in fear.

Techi looked on in horror as Shinji picked up the pipe that had been dropped. Techi started to back up, but found that he was closer to the wall than he realized. Shinji slowly started walking towards him. As Techi turned to run, Shinji threw the pipe and tangled his feet up causing him to fall. That was all the time Shinji needed to catch up to him, Shinji jumped into the air and brought his right knee down square into Techi's back, a sickening crunch let loose upon impact.

Techi lay on the ground, crying his eyes out in pain as Shinji rolled him over; Shinji drew his hand back to deliver the death blow when Asuka cried out to him "Shinji! Don't do it! Please!"

Shinji looked back towards her, his eyes vacant of emotion; he lowered his arm, then raised it and punched Techi square in the face. Shinji let go of the boy's shirt as he fell unconscious on the ground.

He walked over to where she laid on the ground "Are you ok?" he asked she shook her head "I think they broke my leg." She said between sobs. Shinji looked at her knee and nodded, "Alright, this might hurt a little" he told her "Here, bit down on this." Shinji tore off part of his shirt and rolled it tight, then gave it to her. "I'm going to carry you to the house, let section 2 take care of them." He carefully slipped his arms under her, making sure not to cause her anymore pain. "If any of you are still conscious, tell him if he tries this again, I won't be so forgiving." Shinji slowly started walking the rest of the way back to the apartment.

Asuka reached out and pushed the button to open the door, thankfully Misato had been home, for neither of them could easily have reached their keys. "Misato call for an ambulance!" Shinji shouted as he entered the apartment.

"What? Why do you..." Misato started to say as she entered hallway. Shinji continued to carry her down the hallway and carefully placed her on the couch. "Just call them." he told her as he walked to the bathroom to get the medical kit.

"Their on the way, now what the hell happened?" Misato asked as she hung up the phone. Shinji came back into the living room with some gauze to wrap her leg in. "We were walking home when some thugs from school..." Shinji was interrupted as the phone rang. Misato quickly answered it "Hello? Yes this is her... He did what? Alright, have them arrested and detained at HQ." Misato hung up the phone "That was section two, they just arrested the guys that attacked you." She looked at Shinji as he carefully wrapped Asuka's leg. Misato walked over and put a pillow under her leg to help support it

"Shinji, could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked as she motioned towards the kitchen, he nodded then looked at Asuka

"Hey, I'm going to be right back. Promise" he leaned down and kissed her forehead real quick before getting up.

"They told me you single handedly took on all five of those guys. Is that true?" She asked him.

He nodded his head "Yeah, I had to Misato. They were going to do things to Asuka." He dropped his head down at the thought.

"You were lucky Shinji, if any of them had been carrying a gun, we'd have to call a coroner, not just the ambulance." She said softly "... but... you did a good job, you did a very brave thing for her, you know that, right?"

He nodded his head "I know, what's going to happen to those guys?" he asked "Most likely they will be arrested for assault on NERV personnel, but the one you caught in the throat, they aren't sure he'll make it." Shinji just stared at her as the words rolled around in his head.

She walked to his side. "It's ok Shinji, it wasn't your fault, and you did what you had to do to save yourselves. No one's going to blame you" she tried to console him as best she could.

"Shi... Shinji..." Asuka called for him from the living room.

Shinji just nodded towards the older woman and walked into the living room. "Yes Asuka, what do you need?" he asked "Do...Don't leave... please..." she reached out and grabbed his hand; he kneeled down next to her and smiled "I won't."

At the hospital Asuka was undergoing an operation in an attempt to reset her knee. The doctors said it was a very serious break, and they weren't sure how well she would be able to walk after it had healed. Shinji sat patiently in the waiting room with Misato when Ritsuko walked into the room.

"Hey guys. Shinji, how are you holding up?" She asked, he shrugged and put his head back into his hands. Misato got up and walked towards Ritsuko and they walked into the hallway together.

"So? How is she doing?" Misato asked.

"She'll be alright. She might have a slight limp, but other than that, she should be ok. What about him?" she said motioning towards Shinji.

Misato shook her head "He's a little shook up, but can you blame him?" Ritsuko nodded then excused herself as she was paged

"I'll check up on you in a bit." she said as she walked away. Misato walked back into the waiting room.

"Hey Shinji, you want something to drink or a bite to eat?" She asked

He shook his head "No, I just wish this was over..." he got up from the chair and started to walk out of the waiting room "I'll be back, page me when she gets out of surgery." Misato nodded and walked over sit on the chair.

Shinji walked around the outside of the NERV hospital, replaying the events of the evening in his mind.

'Did I do the right thing?'

'Of course you did, they were going to hurt a friend'

'But I might have killed someone.'

'Maybe, but they were going to kill both of you, would you rather of had that?'

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he continued his walk. A short time later he ran into Kaji at the entrance to the hospital.

"Hey Shinji, I heard about what happened, how is she doing?" he asked

"I don't know, she was still in surgery when I came out." He replied

Kaji nodded, "You know, that was a very brave thing you did for someone you've only known a short time. If I didn't know better I'd say you l..."

"I do not!" Shinji stated, cutting him off. "She's a friend that was in trouble, that's all."

Kaji smiled, 'yeah, sure, I've only seen someone look like that when they defend someone they really care for' Kaji thought "Well, I'm going to go up and see if she's out yet, care to join me?"

Shinji nodded and they started to walk back into the hospital. "Shinji Ikari, please report to the third floor waiting room. Shinji Ikari to the third floor waiting room please" the overhead speakers said. Shinji and Kaji got on an elevator and start up to the third floor. As they got near the waiting room Misato came out and met them.

"She's in room 3014, but they say she can only have one guest." She told them. Kaji and Misato looked at each other and nodded, "Go on Shinji, you should see her first." Kaji told him, he nodded and started off towards her room.

Asuka laid in the hospital bed, her right leg in a cast. She heard a light knock at the door, "Come in Shinji"

He smiled a little as he walked into the room. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked he slowly walked in and pulled a chair next to the bed.

"Just a feeling." she said "Listen, I want to thank you for what you did earlier." Shinji started to say something but she put her hand up. "Please, let me finish." She took a deep breath "I don't mean just the fight, it must have hurt to carry me all the way back to the apartment, and then the kiss..." they both blushed a little "... and then how you stayed with me on the ride over, and until they took me to the operating room. No ones ever been this nice to Me." she motioned for him to lean in, and as he did so she kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you Shinji Ikari." He smiled as he sat back down.

"You're more than welcome, Asuka." he said, then hung his head and continued "I just couldn't stand there while he threatened you like that, I could never let anything happen to you Asuka. You're my friend, and I don't have a lot of those. What he did was inexcusable, and..." he paused as he realized he was starting to babble "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that" he said with a half smile.

She looked him over and smiled "Will you stay with me tonight? I'm not fond of hospitals." She asked. Shinji nodded with a grin "I know what you mean, they are kind of creepy. Let me just tell Misato so she can go home." She nodded as he got up and walked out the door.