Well, I'm sorry for getting this chapter out so late, but I wasn't really... motivated... since I seem to be getting fewer and fewer reviews. I greatly appreciate the reviews I am getting, and it's mostly for those people that I'm continuing on. However, like I said, I'm not really motivated... so, please, everyone, tell me what you think of this story, or if I should apply my creativity to either Gendo's Desk or Sacrilege instead of this fic. Reviews, good or bad, will be greatly appreciated! For Evafan2k8, I appreciate your review, and I'd like to point out one thing: Asuka was not admiring the necklace and earrings for their fashion, but rather for their beauty. The 'matching' part was not to denote any kind of fashion, but rather to show that both the earrings and necklace were gold with diamonds. Also, regarding Sacrilege, Jonathan is not 'the perfect' person, like DJ Croft, and I hope that in the next chapter or two it will prove that he does have his faults.

OOO

-NERV entrance, outer edge of Tokyo-3-

Keel, the other SEELE member, and Gendo had finally uncovered the emergency route into Terminal Dogma. All the normal routes had been sealed with bakelite from the invasion just before 3rd Impact, so the three men were hard pressed to find a passage that was open. It appeared to Gendo that Keel needed him for more than killing his son, though Keel seemed to be keeping his reasons very secretive. There seemed to now be a need for the MAGI as well as what could still lie in Terminal Dogma. Luckily Gendo was able to find the way to the command bridge through the darkness. Upon reaching an I/O port, Gendo quickly punches in a few commands to start up the MAGI. He stands back; expecting to hear the super computers turn on, but after a minute is was obvious that nothing was happening.

"Ikari, what is wrong?" Asked the SEELE member.

"There appears to be no power to the MAGI. If there is to be any hope of creating another one of... them... then we will have to restore power."

"If the power supply has run out, how will we manage to get enough power running to activate everything?" Keel questioned, fearing that all his hopes were about to be crushed because of their reliance on mechanical and electrical systems that had failed.

"The Tokyo-3 power station has emergency controls with which we can activate it. They were put in after the 9th Angel attacked to ensure that if the power did go completely out that it could still be started quickly. If we get the power station running, then NERV's generator's will follow suit."

OOO

The three men eventually made their way to the power station and were able to re-activate the generators. Throughout the city lights came on as electricity flowed through the cables. Many places that had been destroyed had lose fittings and wires, which caused for quite a few sparks to be made, but none were large enough to do any damage to the structures. At the Katsuragi home, however, the sudden addition of power was enough to frighten both children, but in particular Shinji. Shinji, who had been preparing the grill to cook yet another instant dinner, was blinded as the light bulb located in front of him suddenly came to life. Asuka, who was in the bathroom at the time that the power came back on, let out a scream several minutes later. The bath she had been taking was cold, since the heater ran on electricity. It hadn't quite occurred to Asuka that leaving the hot water turned on would turn out bad if it did indeed become hot. Shinji, dazed from the light bulb, stumbles around the kitchen while trying to get to Asuka. Eventually Shinji made his way to the bathroom, only to have the door slam open and Asuka, naked and very angry, storm right into him. Unfortunatly for Shinji, Asuka's wrath decided to make a comeback after she realized that she was lying on top of Shinji, naked.

"Dummkopf Shinji!!"

The first smack Shinji had received in over a week left a large red handprint on his cheek. Even more dazed than before, Shinji hardly noticed when Asuka went back into the bathroom to continue her bath. Finally, after another minute, Shinji came back to his senses and felt the burning mark on his cheek. For a moment he pondered if that would always happen when he would see Asuka naked, but decided that that was another question for another day, and one he would have to discuss with Asuka eventually. The rest of the night went on without any other confrontation, and Shinji and Asuka settled on figuring out why the power came back on the next day. Asuka surprised Shinji yet again, however, when she decided to sleep with him for yet another night. What made it even sweeter for Shinji, if such a thing was possible, was what Asuka whispered in his ear. Though she still stuttered like a child learning to speak, Asuka managed to apologize before she wrapped her arms around Shinji's waist and closed her eyes. Shinji, happy that Asuka was becoming much nicer than she had been, lies his arm over Asuka's side and waits for sleep to come.

OOO

"Shinji..."

Shinji opens his eyes to find himself naked and floating in a grey void. All Shinji could discern about the place was that it had no ground and everything was covered in dark grey clouds. Before he could turn around, Shinji was embraced from behind by Rei, who was just as naked as he was.

"Shinji, why did you leave me? We could have been very happy together... all of us..."

"I had to leave, Rei... It wasn't real... It wasn't right..."

"Are you sure?"

"I...I think so... I'm happy with Asuka, happier than during 3rd Impact!"

"But aren't you also sadder? Doesn't she make you sadder than you've ever been?"

"I can stand those sad times when I know that she's alright, though."

"Even though you make her sadder than she's ever been?"

"But... I also make her happier, too!"

"What can you achieve by living in this desolate place?"

"I... I can be happy, with Asuka!"

"Even though there is no one else to comfort you?"

"I don't need anyone else! As long as I have Asuka, I can be happy!"

Slowly the clouds surrounding the suspended world begin to lighten, and Rei releases Shinji. As she slowly floats away, Shinji spins around to face her.

"Shinji... you two are not alone in this world..."

The clouds thin and eventually part to show Tokyo-3, destroyed further than it was after 3rd Impact, below Rei and Shinji.

Rei looks towards the city, though it resembles a crater more than a city, before speaking again, "Shinji, I will always be waiting for you to return to me... but I will also watch over you, for however long it takes before you return to me. You are in danger, Shinji, but, should anything happen to you... I will be there, for you."

Before Shinji could respond, Rei became transparent and diffused into the wind around Shinji. Suddenly Shinji stopped floating and began falling towards the ground.

OOO

"Gendo..."

Gendo finds himself sitting behind his desk in his office. After hearing his name called out a second time, Gendo slowly scans the room, pushing his glasses back up his nose after he finishes.

"Gendo, do you realize what you're doing?"

Slowly Rei materializes in her plug suit in front of Gendo's desk. Gendo sits facing her, his attitude and demeanor remaining unchanged.

"Of course. That child has ruined everything I worked for. I have nothing left, so I will make sure that he has the same."

Her face shows a spark of anger for a moment, then returns back to its normal expression, as Rei speaks again, "You know, I can not allow that. You will do nothing to harm him."

Gendo, remaining cold and un-reactive to Rei's words, responds, "Even if I have to take that child to the grave with me, I will make sure his newfound life is very, very short."

OOO

Asuka slowly opens her eyes and snuggles close to Shinji, hoping to shut out the light filtering through the window. Eventually Asuka fully woke up, though Shinji was still fast asleep, and noticed just how close she had pulled herself to Shinji.

'Great, now I'm the one having Hentai thoughts...' But while she was thinking this, Asuka could not redirect her mindset. Almost without thinking, Asuka finds her arms now underneath Shinji's shirt. Asuka's heart jumps into her throat, however, when Shinji beings to stir. Before Asuka could act, Shinji's eyes opened and, as a surprise to Asuka, he smiled.

For several they simply lie in bed together.

"Hey... Asuka?"

"Yeah?" Asuka begins to grow worried.

"Do I... make you happy?"

"Well, yeah, of course you do." Asuka says with a smile.

"But... don't I also make you sad?" Shinji's face, which had brightened at Asuka's smile, darkens with melancholy.

"Well... sometimes... but, Shinji, you make me happy more often than you make me sad."

For several more minutes Asuka and Shinji lie in silence until Shinji speaks again.

"Asuka... I had a dream of Rei last night... She told me that I was in danger... and that she was watching over me..."

After hearing this, Asuka's demeanor slowly begins to shift away from what it had been. Memories of her own encounter with Rei begin to surface, along with Rei's promise to her.

"Well, she's gonna be out of a job as soon as this leg gets better, cause nobody's better at pulling you out of the fire than me." Asuka says arrogantly.

Shinji smiles, "That's my Asuka. So... what's there to do today?"

"I guess we should check out the electrical situation... maybe we can find out why it came on all the sudden."

"Alright, but let's have breakfast first, okay? I'm kind of hungry..."

"Okay." Asuka says happily.

Shinji didn't know what was going to happen to either of them, but seeing Asuka so happy was enough to ease his mind.

OOO

Not the longest of Chapters, I know... gomen!