AN: This Chapter deals with the aftermath of the terrorist attack, and the discovery that Shinji is more than human. Also, props to masterbroly for catching the C-24 Doom reference. It's basically all about Rei and Kensuke.

11: Rei


It was early morning when Ritsuko finally stepped out of the hospital room where one of the two young men was settled. When she did, however, it was to find both their commander and caretaker along with the rest of the pilots gathered outside of the room. Rei stood near the commander, her upper right arm and shoulder bandaged up.

"How are they?" Misato asked, looking at her long-time friend as she removed her gloves and mask.

The woman sighed tiredly, "Shinji's cut, and burns are going to be fine, and we managed to get all of the shrapnel out of his shoulder," she said, making the woman smile slightly, "Kensuke's been patched up, and the bullet's been removed as well." She took out her cigarettes and prepared to light up before Misato snatched it, making her scowl at her, "Hey, I needed that!"

"Sakura's here," she pointed out, the little girl clinging to her brother's leg while he and Hikari stood next to each other. "Now, you haven't really answered my question. How are they?" She repeated.

Ritsuko took a deep breath, looking at the commander, and frowned, "If they were normal, average, everyday teenagers, then I'd say they'd be back on their feet in a few weeks," she said, her choice of words making the others frown, "But they're far from that."

"What are you talking about?" Misato demanded. "Are they gonna be alright, or not?"

Ritsuko scowled at her, "They're going to be just fine, that's the problem," she snapped, running her hands through her hair in agitation, "Wounds like Shinji's? He should be down for a month, two tops, but as it stands, he'll be up and walking around by tomorrow, if not sooner with barely a scar!" She said, making the other look shocked, "Kensuke should've died on his way back! And now he's going to be waking up any time, now, even with the sedatives I gave them! He'll be up within a few hours!"

"How's that possible?" Misato asked, looking stunned, "If it was as bad as all that, then - "

"Was it the same medication you used on me?" Hikari asked, making the blonde flinch while the rest turned to her, "After that shot, all my bruises were gone, and - "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Toji snapped, "Hold the phone! What damned shot?!"

"Doctor," Gendo frowned at her, having a fairly good idea of what she had done, "I thought we talked about this before, did we not?"

"Indeed," Ristuko said, looking unabashed, "Further testing proved a small theory of mine that popped up while I was examining Hikari before Misato's call. Like Shinji, she was showing advanced signs of healing, just as he was, but on a much smaller scale. I tested some of the serum I derived from him on a blood sample, and the advancements kicked into overdrive. Her bruises disappeared within a matter of minutes, and purged her system of any latent toxins, such as the sedative I gave her through the examination."

The hallway was silent as the news of her experimentation sank in before -

"YOU BITCH!" Toji roared, surging forth to grab at her, while Misato and the commander lept to hold him back while Hikari looked utterly horrified. Asuka and Mari looked like they wanted to have a go at her as well, but maintained their calm.

"Explain yourself, now, Doctor!" Gendo ordered, struggling with the enraged teen, "And it had better be a damned good one!"

Ritsuko frowned at him, "You're the one that wanted his cells studied to find out if we could replicate it," she reminded him, "And once I saw that Hikari was showing the unique signs of that Shinji's body did, I tested my theory, before injecting her with the serum. She's obviously fine."

"That doesn't make it any better!" Misato snapped, "You just conducted human experimentation on a kid for God's sake!"

"How did she even develop it to begin with?" Mana asked, somewhat intrigued, "If Shinji showed signs before any of us without your tinkering, then - "

"The Evas," the blonde supplied, "I don't yet know how, but, and I'm quite sure Asuka and Mari have the same symptoms, I believe that piloting the Evangelions brought about these changes. Shinji's been piloting the longest out of anyone here, Asuka and Mari have both been exposed to it as well, Mari back at the Bethany base, and Asuka and Kensuke during their battle at sea. Hikari was exposed to it as well when she fought with the Rogue."

"Okay," Toji growled, having calmed down from his rage, though he was casting a downright murderous glare at the woman, "so what are the symptoms you were talking about?" He asked, "I mean, I saw Shinji catch and lift a full ton of concrete on his shoulders during the attack at the Old Tokyo site."

"And his eyes glow, too," Asuka put in, remembering the times she'd seen the phenomenon.

Ritsuko looked at her in surprise, as well as mentally filing it away for later. "The strength you all saw was one of the symptoms, and I'd gather that he's twice as fast as a normal human being. Other signs were the fact that he was healing at double the natural rate of an average human, which has doubled again by now, given how fast he's healing at the moment. His bones seem denser, and stronger as well. The real acid test would be checking your chromosomes. Shinji has a full twenty-four sets, which ultimately makes him a superhuman."

"And me?" Hikari asked, looking at the woman with disgust, "What did you do to me?"

Ritsuko looked at the girl apologetically. "You, after probably a matter of three to four weeks, would be the same as Shinji," she said, "As it stands, you're probably the same as he is right now, considering how fast you healed." She said, "I simply took the chance to speed up the process."

"I've been inside my Eva long before that first battle," Asuka pointed out, "Are you saying that I'm probably the same, too?"

Ritsuko shrugged, "I haven't been able to test your blood, yet, so I won't know until then, but I would assume so." She said, sighing as she turned back to the girl she had violated, "I won't ask you to forgive me, but seeing the change happening naturally gave me hope that this would work." She said, "Before, when I tested you all, the serum destroyed your cells, like a cancer, or a virus. Now? Those that have piloted Eva are becoming something more than human."

"You could have killed her," Mari pointed out coldly, surprising those around the usually bubbly girl. The French pilot crossed her arms and glared at her, "I don't give a damn about your intentions, but experimenting on us while know that it could harm us? Don't think for a second that I'm letting you touch me, or my little sisters." She said, gesturing to the other female pilots.

Misato agreed with her, "Your testing of my pilots is done, Ritsuko," she said, stepping back to place an arm around Hikari's shoulders protectively, "That goes for Rei, too. She's not doing anything else for - "

"Now hold on a minute, Mistato," Ritsuko snapped, "Rei is invaluable to - "

"So are the rest of the pilots," the blue-haired woman sneered, "I've seen how she acts, and what kind of meds you've been feeding her. Half of them are tranqs to keep her docile, and some of them are dangerous!" She snapped, "No, you're not touching any of them ever again!"

"You're not her mother!"

"I am good as," Misato pointed out coldly, "I'm certainly better than someone that thinks they can use children as guinea pigs. Bad enough we have to rely on them to fight our battles for us, but this is crossing a line that never should've been crossed!"

Rei looked between the two women, frowning slightly. "What did you find out from my own tests?" The girl asked, causing the woman to flinch, "Doctor?"

Ritsuko frowned, "When I...tested your blood with the serum, Rei," she began sighing, "Rei, dear, for some reason this phenomenon that's happening to Shinji and the others...isn't happening with you."

"Why is that?" Rei asked, decidedly pushy considering the girl was usually so docile.

"Your condition," the blonde stated, "does not allow the serum to take effect. Nor does it allow the change to occur naturally as it has with the others."

Rei looked down at her feet, "I see."

Sakura, having remained quiet for the most part, didn't quite understand why Rei seemed to be so upset, "Is Rei sick?" She asked, looking up at her brother.

"Nah," Toji smirked down at her, "She's just a little different, that's all."

"Different?" Sakura asked, frowning, "But she's just like the rest of us, isn't she?"

'Just like the rest of them?' Rei thought, her hands curling into fists. "What happened when you tested my cells?"

"Rei, leave it be," Gendo frowned, hoping to change the subject, "As of this moment, no more testing will be done, to you or the other pilots." He said, turning about to look at the blonde woman, "Is that clear, Doctor?"

"Crystal." She said, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Good," the commander said, turning to the pilots and their caretaker, "Now, why not take everyone home, and rest? There's no telling when the next Angel will show itself." He told them, "And if I remember correctly, Christmas is just around the corner. Shouldn't you all be getting ready for that?"

"This isn't over," Misato promised the blonde as she and her little family left the halls.

Gendo remained as the rest of the team moved away, and turned to the blonde, "How fast is the transition?"

"Epidemic," Ritsuko told him, her earlier facade falling with the change in the commander's behavior. "Once injected, Lieutenant Horaki's body accepted the serum right away, and adapted it to suit her." She said, smiling, "The only difference I've noticed is that her bones don't appear to be as thick as the boys' have become. But that is understandably gender-related. But that one slight difference is a damning one. The lack of thickness in her bones has made her faster than possibly Shinji is at the moment, but it also puts her at a disadvantage in the fact that, if she were to face against a male individual with the same condition, then she would have trouble in the fact that her bones would be easier to break than the male."

"So a trade for speed by sacrificing a denser skeleton," Gendo nodded, understanding, "How does she compare to a normal girl her age?"

Ritsuko shivered slightly when she remembered the look on the girl's face, "As she is now?" She smiled, "She could snap my neck without even trying if she was angry."

"Then I dare say that it was a good thing that it was Lieutenant Suzuhara that went for you and not her," he said, frowning, "And now that I've banned any more testing, outside normal physicals, we have no idea if it's possible to replicate this genetic feature to a normal person that's never been exposed to an Eva."

Ritsuko thought for a moment, "Well, the only reason I tested that little theory on the girl is because I saw the early signs of what has been happening to Shinji," she relented, "But even then I used an extremely small dose, barely a CC's worth, and the effect was immediate...I have some ideas on how it might be possible, but I'd need to make sure before testing it again."

"A micro-injection could be an idea worth looking into," he suggested, "A single cell can and will replicate in a proper host...and I believe you're quite close to a young certain young woman?"

Ritsuko frowned at him, "You're suggesting Maya?" She asked, shocked, "It's true that she's quite young, barely into her twenties, really, but do you - ?"

"It's worth a shot," Gendo assured her, "Besides, with her, you wouldn't dare test your theory out unless you were absolutely certain."

"True enough." Ritsuko frowned, reaching for another cigarette, "Still, now that Rei's medication will run dry, and due to the fact that she's grown curious, she may deviate from your little scenario."

"I will ensure that she remains on task," he said, frowning, "And if she does not, then you have a back-up of her stored away in Central Dogma, as well as plenty of spares to implant them in."

"Also true," the woman smiled as she lit up, and walked passed him, "Keep in mind, however, that if this Rei becomes human, then we may have a bigger problem on our hands."

"And that is?"

"The fact that she has both yours, and Yui's genetic make up," she said, "In other words, you really would become her father."

Gendo frowned and moved down the halls in the opposite direction, neither of them taking notice of the young red-haired boy standing with his back against the door of his father's room, looking utterly furious.

{This was not supposed to happen.} The Angel thought, {I will need to look into this...in the meantime, I believe that Rei will need something from me.} He sank through the floor, and made his way toward Ritsuko Akagi's office where she kept her research.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the angered Angel, Rei herself was sneaking her way into the blonde woman's office. 'They lied to me,' the girl thought as she slipped into the room, 'They have never kept anything from me. So why would I be so much different than the others, unless my inhuman parts were in jeopardy. Which would render my body useless for what the Commander has planned.'

She went immediately to the little storage unit that she knew Doctor Akagi kept her important samples, and searched through the little chilled cabinet. It wasn't hard to find what she was looking for, and pulled out a small vile marked "S.I.24".

She found a clean syringe and filled it with the liquid, her hands trembling as she prepared to...to what?

'Should I...what should I do..." she found herself wondering, the needle hovering over a vein in her arm.

{Go on.}

The girl jolted. 'Who - '

{Do something that you want to do for once,} the voice said.

{Whatever happens. Whatever you choose.}

{This choice belongs only to you.}

For a moment, as her hands trembled, it felt as though someone took hold of her hand, and steadied her. A strange sensation, considering that she was alone. But the warmth she felt washing over her...

She smiled slightly, and inserted the needle.


(*)


Kensuke groaned as he awoke, frowning as he felt a throbbing headache pounding like a drum behind his eyes. Frowning as he opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at the ceiling of the medical ward in NERV. 'Guess they got us back to the base,' he thought, instinctively looking for the bedside table where he would usually place his glasses.

"Huh?" The boy frowned when he clearly saw his glasses sitting on a small nightstand beside the bed...when usual he would have to search for them. He reached back and touched his face, making sure that he wasn't dreaming for a moment, and reached for them again. The moment he settled the lenses in front of his eyes, however, the headache he had became unbearable as his vision was blurred by the glasses.

"What the hell?" He mumbled, holding them up again, feeling immediately dizzy by doing so. Kensuke Aida was one of many throughout the world that suffered from astigmatism, and his glasses were about the only thing that he could stand to aide him in seeing straight. Without them, however, he stumbled around horribly until he had them on.

Frowning, the boy placed them back on the table, and stood up from the bed. A feeling of vertigo hit him immediately, but he quickly recovered, and made his way over to a sink. Turning on the taps, he scrubbed his face, looking back up and into the mirror. His normal grey eyes stared back at him. He still had his sandy blond hair, and his freckled cheeks.

When he reached up to touch the skin beneath his eyes, however, he noticed that his arm seemed...bigger. Pulling back the sleeve of his hospital gown, he saw that his forearm had doubled in size, giving it a muscular look, much like he had seen of Shinji. It was the arm of a very physically fit person. He then lifted up his hospital gown.

"Holy..." he breathed out as he found that once scrawny frame now hosted a small six-pack of abs, and defined pectorals. He dropped the gown back around his knees, "Okay, Kensuke, so...they knocked you up with steroids while you were out, yeah, that's...utterly stupid!" Kensuke said to himself, freaking out, "Okay, uh, let's think about this!" He stumbled back, intent on finding his clothes, "So you can run faster...without getting winded, when could I do that?!" Kensuke yelped, remembering his run through the Old Tokyo base's halls, "A-a-a-and Shinji was running faster than I was! Okay!" He found his clothes in a box under his bed, and quickly began to dress.

"So-so-so, then I get shot after shooting a terrorist, and I wake up to find I've gone Steve-fucking-Rogers!" He yelped, fumbling with his shoes as he bumbled toward the door. "Yeah, right! RIT-SU-KO!"

"Kensuke?"

"Ack!" He whirled around, finding Rei standing there, looking...paler than normal, "Rei? What - ?!"

"We should go now," she said, moving forward to take his hand, "The others were worried." She said.

"Uh, right, but shouldn't I check out with the doc, fir- Rei, you're burning up!" Kensuke yelped when she took hold of his wrist. He then looked at her face, noting that she was sweating slightly, and that she had a strained look across her features, "Rei, what's going on here?" He asked, "Look, I'm a little bit freaked out right, now, and I've never seen you sick before, so what the - "

"What are you two doing?" Ritsuko's voice reached them.

He felt Rei's hand tighten around his slightly, a grip that had everything to do with the appearance of the doctor. He looked at her for a moment, see a look of fear entering her eyes. He turned back to the doctor, smiling, "Nothing, Doc," he smiled, "Rei was just catching me up since I've been out."

Ritsuko raised her brow at the girl, seeing a rather dirty look across her face when she looked at the woman, "I see, then she must not have told you everything that's happened, yet?"

"I have not," Rei said for herself, sounding tired, "But I have every intention of doing so."

Ritsuko nodded, sensing that the girl was no longer trustful of her after what had gone on outside of the teen's room. "Understandable. Kensuke, you should be good to go, so I'll let Rei escort you out. Grab a car if you need; Commander Ikari is currently printing a license for you as a reward for your bravery during the attack in Old Tokyo."

"Right, thanks," he said, turning around with Rei's hand locked around his own still, making the doctor frown.

'When did that happen?' She wondered, looking after the two children when she noticed something else that seemed off, 'Is Rei's hair getting darker...Shit!'

"REI AYANAMI!"

"Run!" Rei yelped, taking off at once when she heard the woman shouting.

She didn't get far, however, before her body began to give out. Her legs wobbled and gave out as she tried to run, and her vision began to blur as sweat began pouring down her face. "Rei!"

Kensuke knelt down and plucked her from the floor up into his arms, and scrambled back down the hall with surprising speed

"Dammit!" The blonde snapped, "He's already made the transition!" She stopped and took out her phone, "Commander, Kensuke's made the transition. And Rei's taken the serum."

"What!?" Gendo roared from the other end, "How did that happen?! I thought you'd made it clear -?!"

"Well, you thought wrong, and she's reacting violently," she told the man, "I don't know how much she took, but from the look of it, she's taken a large dose. Her hair's already looking darker, and I'm quite sure that her body's trying to reject it!" She said, groaning, "What are your orders?"

"...observe her, and step in if it looks like things are going to end badly for her," he sighed, "As I said before, she has a replacement. But if she survives, then we will need to have a back-up for the scenario. To avoid another situation like this, we will awake the replacement when the time comes. Where is she now?"

"She's run off with Lieutenant Aida," she said, frowning, "It's amazing, as well. That boy was a twig before he set foot inside Unit-04, but now barely two weeks later, he's an Olympic runner."

"I see, then you will need to have Section-two keep a safe distance."

"Yes, sir," she said, and hung up the phone, scowling. "Well, now, little Pinocchio, you wanted to be a real girl," she said, "Let's see if you can handle the pain that comes with it."

.

Getting a car from the NERV parking lot was easier than Kensuke imagined, having simply lifted a set of keys from Section-Two, and found the car they went to. Now, as he drove through the streets of Tokyo-3, his concerns turned back to the girl sitting beside him.

Rei's condition had worsened.

Sweat was now soaking through her clothes, and her eyes had bags underneath them. Her breathing had become labored, and he could now see the veins beneath her skin.

"Rei," he said, making the stricken girl look at him, "What's going on?" He asked, "What the hell did they do to you?"

Rei gave a small, pained smile, "She...Ritsuko...did not...nothing to me..." she panted, "I... I did this..."

"Why?!" Kensuke asked, "I mean, Rei, look at you!" He said, pulling the car over, "You look like you're dying!"

Rei hesitated, seeing the look on the boy's face. He looked as if he was in great pain, yet she knew that, from what the doctor told her, he was in perfect health, and should feel no pain. Part of her, a growing part, felt...happy.

"Kensuke," she mumbled, "Do you...recall...when you told me...I was important to you?"

"Of course," the boy said, smiling slightly at her, "And not I'm worried for the same reasons."

"How...important...am I?" She asked, feeling frightened of his answer.

Kensuke flinched slightly, unsure of what to say. But the girl beside him had a pleading look in her eyes, eyes that had darkened since they had run away. So he reached out, and took hold of her hand, feeling the clammy, overheated skin in his grasp. Rei looked down at their hands, feeling comforted by the contact. "Rei," she looked back at him, a look of...she didn't know the look on his face. It was one she was rather unfamiliar with. She had only seen it a few times...when she saw her brother looking at Asuka...or when Toji and Hikari were together.

"Kensuke?"

He clasped her hand between his own, holding it as tightly as he dared, "Rei, I'm...I'm in love with you." Her eyes widened in shock, her heart skipping a beat for a a fraction of a second.

"Y-you..." she stammered weakly, tears brimming in her eyes, "Someone like me..."

"It's true," he told her, "I've had my eyes on you ever since I first saw you. And I've loved the time we've spent together. All of it." He said, looking increasingly worried, "So please, tell me what's happening to you!"

Rei looked at him, feeling oddly calm. She then leaned forward, and wrapped her free arm around his neck, holding him as close to her as physically possible, her left hand still clasped in his own. "Kensuke...I...I'm afraid."

"Of what?" He asked, stroking her damp hair.

"That you will...will not love me anymore."

That didn't make sense to Kensuke in the least. She'd been the center of his whole world for the better part of a year before Shinji arrived. And how, how could he hate someone when he saw them in such obvious pain? "Why would you think like that?"

"Because," she looked up at him, her eyes no longer their crimson hues, but a deep blue/black, like Shinji's. "I am...I am not the real Rei Ayanami."

Kensuke blinked, confused, "What?"

"I am not the real Rei Ayanami," she repeated, looking away from him, "I am not even a real human being...I am...a clone."

"A clone," the boy parroted, shaking his head, "You..you're kidding, right? I-I-I mean, human cloning is illegal!"

Rei nodded, well aware of the laws against human clones. "I did say that I am not a real human being," she said, "Let me rephrase that; I am not a full-blooded human clone." She reiterated, making him look even more confused, "Rei Ayanami, the original, was a child created through genetic engineering using an egg created from the DNA of Doctor Yui Ayanami, and Gendo Ikari. When Shinji called me sister, I had to know what he meant by that, and found the documents confirming that I was indeed his sister."

"And what about not being all human?" Kensuke asked, gulping.

"That...is complicated," she said, frowning, "Technically, I am only half human... the other half...is Angel."

Kensuke felt his stomach drop, "You're...half-Angel?"

"I was," she said, nodding, looking down at their hands, "But...I think...I am becoming more human, now...I was already becoming more human," she said, shaking her head, "Before my brother, I only knew how to follow the Commander's orders, and do as I was instructed. And then all over you moved in, and we...we became a family."

His expression softened. "I don't really understand this," he said, sighing, "But you're scared that I'm gonna leave you because you're a clone?"

"This is correct," she said, "And the fact that I was once part Angel."

He gave her hand a squeeze, "Rei," she looked at him, "the person you are. The person right in front of me. That's the only Rei I've ever known. For all I know, the other you could have turned out completely different, and I wouldn't have loved her like I do you." He shook his head, "And I don't really care that you were part Angel. It's shocking, I'll admit, but it's not a turnoff. I always thought you were too amazing to be normal."

"There is nothing amazing about being part of a monster," she said, cringing as a fresh wave of pain rolled through her abdomen, bile rising in her throat. She rolled the window down and retched.

Kensuke managed to awkwardly hold her hair back out of her face as she did so, using his other hand to rub soothing circles over her back, "Maybe we should take you back?"

"No!" The girl yelled, frightened, "I do not know what they would do to us!"

"Okay, okay," the boy said, holding up his hands in surrender, "But Rei, we need to do something. You're only getting sicker by the minute."

"This will eventually pass," the girl said, settling back into her seat tiredly, "Until it does, however, I would rather not return home. I have no idea what the others would say if they...if they knew about me."

Kensuke sighed, and settled back into the driver's seat, "Alright, we'll stop by a store and grab some camping gear." He said, pulling back out onto the streets, "At least that we can have some peace."


(*)


Ritsuko was monitoring the progress of the two renegades through drone cameras placed throughout the city, sighing as she saw the girl become increasingly sicker and sicker, "Looks like she may not make it." She sighed, smiling, "Such a shame, she was so very close."

A knock sounded at her office door, forcing her to turn off the monitor. In walked Maya Ibuki, "Working again, Doctor?"

Ritsuko smiled at the young woman, "Always," she said as the girl made her way over to her, grinning wickedly, and pulled the girl into her lap as she gave a startled squeak, "And I thought that I told you to call me 'Ritsuko' when we're alone?" She relished the flustered look on the girl's face as her hands wandered over her body.

"Mm!" The girl squealed, "What're you doing, Do-er, Ritsuko!" She stammered as one of her hands felt its way up her shapely thighs, "Someone could see us!"

Ritsuko giggled at the sight of the girl practically melting under her touch as she moved her hand beneath her skirt, "Oh, don't worry, no one dares to come in here aside from you, and Commander Ikari," she said, smiling as the girl's face grew red with heat, moving her lips closer to her face, giving her cheek a small kiss, "Besides, Maya, when was the last time I had you?"

Maya fidgeted in her lap, her legs already tingling, "It's...it's been a few weeks, really," she relented, almost sounding depressed, "You've been neglecting me."

Ritsuko chuckled, "Have I now?" She smiled at the younger woman, licking her lips, "We can't have that, now, can we?"


(Stopping right there until I brush up on Yuri scenes :p)


Some time later found the renegade pair far out into the country, dusk settling in. "Sorry about this, Misato," Kensuke said into his phone, "I know it's kind'a spur of the moment, but - "

"No, no, I get it, really," Misato giggled from her end, "Just so long as you two are safe and all, and...well, I guess you two are responsible enough to be alone for a night or two."

"I'd better not have a niece or nephew on the way!" Hikari shouted in the background, causing Kensuke to blush when he heard the uproarious laughter of Toji, and, possibly, Mari.

"Tell Hikari not to worry," he said, sighing, "I don't think we're ready for that sort of thing, yet." He looked back toward the tent he had set up for them, grimacing when he saw Rei stumbling out to vomit all over the grass once more. "We'll be back in a day or two, tops."

"I wouldn't wanna be you when Shinji finds out about this," He heard Asuka say, making him chuckle before hanging up. He then went back over to the girl crounched on the ground.

He began rubbing her back again, "You feeling any better?" He asked, feeling stupid for asking such a thing when it was obvious that she was far from better.

Rei wiped her lips, "It...it's less frequent than has been," she relented, sounding exhausted, "H-how do I look?"

Kensuke gave a small smile, "Your hair's gotten a lot darker." He said, fingering one of the now saphire locks. It was even darker than Misato's. "And I think your skin's gotten a little color to it."

Rei smiled at him, "I know you are only saying that to make me feel at ease."

"I'm not," he said, smiling, "You're actually starting to look healthier."

"Well," she smiled, sitting back on her legs, "At least I am no longer sweating."

Kensuke nodded, "You wanna wash up?" He asked, "I brought some clothes and towels so you could clean up if you wanted to, and there's a small stream just down the hill."

Rei shook her head, "I believe I would like to lie down some more," she sighed, attempting to get back to her feet until Kensuke reached out to help her back up, her legs wobbling badly, "Thank you, Kensuke."

"Anything for you." He helped her back into the tent, laying her down on her sleeping bag, using a water bottle to wet down a cloth and place it over her forehead, noting that her fever had gone down slightly, but it was still far too high. And she had pointed out that she was no longer sweating.

'That's not a good sign,' he thought as he tried to get her to drink some of the water, which she did, nearly draining it. A moment later, the girl appeared to fall asleep if the gentle rise and fall of her chest was anything to go on.

He stepped out of the tent then, sitting himself close to their little campfire. He looked up at the sky, seeing the first Evening Star peeking through the dusky glow.

"I've never been the religious sort," he muttered, looking back down at the coals, "But if you really do exist, God, please give her a break. A girl that tries so hard like her to be human deserves a little kindness, doesn't she?"

He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his head against them. He suddenly felt as if someone was gently grasping his shoulder, startling him awake. Noting that it was now dark out, he felt that he must have fallen asleep. Jumping to his feet, he scrambled into the tent, desperate to check on Rei.

The girl was on her side, sleeping soundly, the cloth he had placed on her head dry and stiff as it rolled on the ground. But she was still breathing. He placed his hand on her head again, feeling only a slight fever. She was getting better.

Sighing in relief, the boy laid out on his bag beside her, using his arm as a pillow as he kept his eyes locked on her. Comforted by her presence, he fell back asleep within minutes, blind to the other presence in the tent as a red-haired boy silently watched over the sleeping pair.

He reached down, moving a stray lock of hair from his aunt's face. {More than a little kindness, indeed.} He smiled as the girl's fever began to melt away into nothing, her skin becoming a healthy rosy color, and the bags beneath her eyes disappearing. {Father will be so happy for you when he awakes.}

Rei mumbled something in her sleep, her hands reaching out blindly in search of something until she came into contact with Kensuke's shirt as he slept. A content smile came to her face when she grasped it, and fell into a peaceful slumber in which she dreamed for the first time in her life.


(*)


In his room, heavily sedated, Shinji stirred to life as he began to wake up. His body was fighting hard to purge the sedatives that were being fed into him by an IV from his body. So much so that it made the sleeping teen highly uncomfortable, even in sleep. The walls, windows, and floor began to shake as an unseen power flowed from the teen as he fought to come back to awareness.

Finally, his eyes snapped open, revealing blood-red irises that glowed dangerously. All at once, the windows in his room shattered, and the walls nearest him formed crack, the floor spider-webbing around his bed.

With a snarl, he reached over and ripped the needle from his arm. He then groaned, holding his forehead as the medications began to wear off, and left a hideous headache in their wake.

{Are you well, Father?}

Shinji looked up, finding Abraham sitting at the foot of his bed, "No, but I will be in a few minutes," he said, smiling, "We need to talk."

{About what changes have taken place that even I could not foresee?} The Angel asked, {I do believe we do.}


AN: Sorry this took so long to get out, but I think it'll be worth the wait, at least I hope so. :p Here we see the story taking multiple left and right turns as Rei tells her deepest secrets, and struggles to become human while the rest of the pilots find out that something is causing them to change on a genetic level, while Hikari finds out what was done to her.

Please review it you like the chapter!