Searching for Eden

When the two teens got to the loading dock of the train station they saw police at every train door entrance.

Shinji walked closer to Rei and whispered in her ear. "Do you think they're looking for us?"

Rei watched the uniformed men. She was trying to narrow down and identify the description of the people that were stopping. Couples... they were stopping male and female couples. But older couples. She answered her brother "No they are not looking for us."

"Are you sure?" His fear was audible.

"No." She admitted. One thing she learned in NERV was nothing was what it appeared to be. "But the percentage of me being correct is higher than me being wrong."

He nodded and relaxed for he trusted her judgment.

The two teens stood in the line to get on the train until it was their turn to be inspected.

"Kazoku Wakaba?" The police man at the entrance asked after he looked that the passport.

Rei nodded.

He looked to the male pilot. "Kazoku Miki?"

"Hai" Shinji gave a sheepish grin.

"Are you two married?"

"We are twins." Shinji informed and placed cheek against Rei's and smiled. Rei failed to follow up with a smile after his answer. But it didn't matter, Shinji gave a big enough grin for both of them.

"Oh yeah...I see it now." The policeman looked away from them, and compared the two passports. "Sept 13, 2000" He looked up at them. "So you're fifteen ne?"

They nodded in synch.

"Are you visiting family in Hakone?" The policeman asked with mock interest.

Shinji shook his head no.

"Then why go?" The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the boy.

Shinji looked at Rei then back to the cop. "Because they have better hospitals."

Rei eyes widened and she looked up at her brother. I do not look sickly!

The cop looked at Rei and nodded solemnly. He judged her by her extremely pale appearance and her gentle movements that she must deathly ill. He looked back at Shinji and gave him their passports. "You take care you your sister, you hear."

Shinji gave the cop a mock brave face. "I will sir." He and grabbed Rei's hand and walked into the train.

Rei allowed herself to be led.

Once they were away from the police the third child let out a sigh of relief. "Where are our seats?" He asked Rei as he searched for their number and bustled through the crowded train.

"I got us a private cabin." She answered in he usual monotone voice.

"Oh" He put a tighter grip on her hand, so they wouldn't become separated. The train was packed with people.

Rei skillfully made her way through the narrow passages that were blocked by people; even though, Shinji was practically dragging and crashing her into everybody. He was so worried about not becoming separated that he didn't notice what he was doing to her. Luckily, for Rei, it wasn't long before they reached their cabin. When he opened the door, he noticed two opposing couches. Shinji sat right down and relaxed. Rei locked the door behind them and closed the shade on the door so no one could see inside. She then took off her glasses and wig.

Shinji softly chuckled as he looked at her in the brown stocking cap that held back her real hair.

Rei smiled at him as she sat on the opposing couch It was good to see him laugh. He had been crying for the past two days. She didn't realize until now that the body could release so much fluid without dehydrating. Shinji had stopped crying only a few hours ago. That's when she allowed him to help her drive. She needed the break, for she was completely exhausted. Unfortunately, she didn't get any rest because Shinji was a horrible driver. She actually felt safer at NERV during the 'war,' than in the car with Shinji driving.

He looked at her and chuckled. "I know what your thinking Imooto-chan, And I don't drive that bad."

"And I don't look sickly" She said with heart felt conviction. She was still a bit offended by what he said of the cop.

That made him laugh out loud and he mouthed whatever.

Her eyes widened in shock. He sure was acting rudely comfortable around her now. Almost like.. a brother. She gave him a warm smile then yawned. Despite the fact that she wanted to spend time with him, in his now pleasant mood, Rei was tired. To tired to hold a polite conversation. She stood up and pressed the button that released the bed from the wall.

"I think I will rest now." She stated with a yawn.

The bed only came out halfway. She grabbed it and tugged on it, but it wouldn't budge.

Shinji noticed her struggling, and got up to help her. They way she was pulling on it, he thought it was jammed. So when he pulled it and it came right out, he was very surprised.

"Thank you oniisan" Rei said as she crawled up into the bed.

"I didn't do anything, You're the one who worked it out" Shinji admitted.

Rei looked away from him and admitted. "I could not get it out...I was not strong enough."

"Suuuure..." Shinji teased. "You just want to make me feel good"

She didn't respond. Instead she laid her head down and closed her eyes. She was sleep before Shinji made it back to his seat.

For about 15 minutes Shinji watched Rei sleep. He felt bad for making her do the bulk of the driving these past two days. He felt bad for making her have to be the strong one when it should have been him. He was the oldest. He was the male. He was her big brother, but it was she who took care of him. She comforted him, and she was the one who made sure they got here safely. It was his idea to run away but *she* was making sure everything went according to plan. He already felt like a failure.

During the trip he had expected her to tell him to stop crying and suck it up like a man, but she didn't. Rei wasn't like anyone he had ever met. Actually she has always been different from anyone he had ever met. But even he didn't expect her to be as kind and patient as she was. She allowed him to cry and work out his sorrow, with out being ashamed of it. And when he looked at her to make sure he wasn't bothering her, She always gave him one of her beatific smiles that told him it was alright and that it was going to be ok. There was no pity in her eyes. Just concern and.... love? Yes, there was love in her eyes. They had already developed that bond. A bond that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second. Shinji wasn't sure if it was just he who felt that way, or if they felt that way because they were all they had. Whatever it was, he knew he needed her and she needed him and that it was *his* turn to protect and take care of her.

The male pilot decided to rest as well. Because of all the stops., the train ride was going to be a three-day journey. But moreover, he was tired too. He wasn't up the whole time like Rei, but he wasn't rested. To much sorrow, regret, and guilt plagued his heart, and disrupted his slumber.

Shinji stood up and pressed the button to let out his bed. He got in, just as the train started to move, yawned once, and fell a sleep. It wasn't long before his nightmare began.

"You let me die!!"

Shinji was in a void of darkness. But the voice that yelled at him was painfully familiar.

"Anta Baka you saved the doll and let ME die!"

"No I wanted to save you too! " Shinji cried out. "I was just too late!"

"But not too late to save Wonder girl!!"

"Don't call her that!" He said defensively into the darkness.

"I'll call her what I damn well please!!" As an aberration the second child appeared in front of the boy. "You know why, Baka?!" Bloodied gashes appeared on her face and body.

He didn't answered. He was too afraid.

"Because I'm DEAD!" A huge cut appeared on her neck. "I'M DEAD AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Blood started pouring from the wound. "I'M DEAD BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO SAVE WONDER GIRL INSTEAD OF ME!!!" Her head fell limply to the right side and right when Asuka's head completely separated from her body Shinji...

Woke up screaming.

He sat straight up, cupped his face in his hands and cried.

Rei had woken up when her brother screamed. She was going to ask him if he was alright, but she could tell by observing his actions that he wasn't. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how. So she stayed in her bed and silently watched him cry.

Shinji cried for about twenty minutes before he glanced over to Rei.

The first child quickly closed her eyes when he stared at her. She didn't know why, but something in her told her that he no longer wanted her to see him cry. He wanted to be strong for her, or at least appear to be strong. So for him, she pretended to be asleep.

Shinji wiped away his tears and looked over at Rei. She looked so peaceful as she slept. He wished that he could rest too, without being haunted by Asuka's ghost. He wished that he could be strong like Rei instead of the weak little boy he was. He was just great full that she didn't wake up and see once again how weak he really was. He watched her sleep for about 5 minutes before he got up and walked over to her side of the cabin. He needed to be closer to her. He found strength when he was close to her. He bent at the waist and rested his head beside hers, so close that he was able breath the same air she just breathed. It was calming to him. It made him feel whole, the taking into himself, something that was once hers. Her sweet breath became the air the that kept him alive. Being so near to her, he quickly found a peace of mind and became tired once again.

Instead of going back to his bed, he inched himself under her bed and laid on the couch. He barely had enough room to fit under there. Actually, he didn't have enough room, but he didn't want to be alone. No, that wasn't true, he didn't want to be that far away from her.

Rei opened her eyes when Shinji squeezed himself under her bed. She didn't like the fact that he was under there. It was too dangerous; he could be seriously injured if the bed shifted or lowered itself even an inch. So moving as little as possible, so she wouldn't shake the bed and hurt him she called out "Shinji"

"Ummm.... Yes Rei?" Came a muffled reply.

She paused before she continued. She didn't want to make him feel ...she wasn't sure, for she wasn't familiar with emotions. However, she knew that he wanted her to need him. Something that she did anyway, so she didn't mind letting him know. She nodded at her decision and spoke the words she knew he wanted to hear. "I need you, Shinji."

He perked up and hit his forehead on the bottom of her bed.

"Are you ok?" She asked in a worried tone.

"Yes" He quickly answered and inched himself from under her bed. When he was out he faced and asked "You *need* me?"

She nodded and scooted toward the wall and patted her bed.

He understood the unspoken command, but was hesitant to comply. "Are you sure?"

She nodded again. "I am not sleeping well... I believe if you ..." She blushed. "Sleep with me..."

He blushed too.

She continued. "I will rest more peacefully."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She wasn't sleeping well. Shinji had been thrashing ever since he fell asleep. His moans and whimpers were keeping her awake. And since *he* felt like he could only sleep if he was close the her ,then that was the only that *she* would get any sleep. In her opinion, to share a bed was the only logical choice for either of them to get any rest..

Shinji didn't bother asking her for a second time. He quickly climbed in her bed and laid down. Like his bed, it was extremely small. Even smaller than a twin. He tried to scoot close to the edge, so he wouldn't crowd her.

Rei grabbed his arm, tugged him close to her and made him scoot back to the middle of the bed.. "You will fall off the bed and injure yourself if you sleep that close to the edge."

He didn't try to talk her out of allowing him to be close to her. However, he did turn beet red and went completely stiff when she pressed herself against him and rested her head on his chest. He could swear that for about two minutes, he didn't breath.

Rei took note to his disposition and assured. "This is the only way we both can fit." She wasn't lying . Not only was she pressed against him, she was pressed against the wall as well. She lifted her head and continued. "But if this bothers you...." She started to get up.

"No" Shinji said in a forced whisper. It was hard for him to get his mouth to comply with his brains command. Then he surprised himself when he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pleaded. "Please don't leave... me."

She laid her head back on his chest. "I will not leave you, Shinji."

"Do you promise?" He choked out as he stifled his tears. He didn't want to cry in front of her. He *wanted* to be strong. But he knew that he wasn't strong, but *she* gave him strength. It was a strength that he was now dependent on, so he needed to know. "Do you promise never to leave me?"

Rei could hear the need in his voice. So she quickly gave him her honest answer. "Yes, I promise."

"Forever?" He sobbed out despite himself.

She looked up at him and gingerly wipe the tears from his eyes and answered "Yes, forever. I promise that we will be together forever."

He gave her a smile that conveyed devotion and complete trust that her words were true. "I promise never to leave you too, Rei-chan." He held onto her tighter as if she were his life preserver and he was about to drown. "Forever. Together forever."

She nodded in agreement and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Yes, together forever."

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I still don't own any thing that deals with Evangelion