Well, here it is! The next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, please R&R!! I'm working on Gendo's Desk and After Impact, but I didn't really get that many reviews from the last chapters... so if you all want me to get more motivated to get those chapters out, and you haven't reviewed the last chapters of Gendo's Desk and/or After Impact, then review!

Chapter #7

It was time for school, again. Shinji was starting to get tired of it. He hit the 'OFF' button on his clock and got up to put his school clothes on. After he got his school things together and fixed his bed, Shinji went out to make breakfast. He was expecting Misato to come out to bug him just like everyday he went to make breakfast. But she didn't. 0Shinji wouldn't be the first in line to complain, so he just continued to make breakfast. While Shinji was cooking, he expected Pen-Pen to come out of his refrigerator like he always did. But he didn't. Shinji placed the food out on the table and went to the bathroom door. Every day he knocked on the door and told Asuka that breakfast was ready. But no sound came out of the bathroom. Shinji started to panic.

'Where are they? What happened? Did an Angel attack?' thought Shinji, 'Wait, what if my clocks are wrong? What if yesterday was daylight savings? Oh no! This means I'm late!"

Shinji grabbed his book bag and ran out the door just as Pen-Pen came out of his refrigerator. Shinji ran faster and faster in the vain hope of getting to school on time. He got to about where he met Rei every morning when his cell phone went off.

'Huh? My cell phone never rings. What if it's the school, or worse, what if it's dad!?'

Shinji answered the phone with shaky hands only to be relieved when he heard Misato's voice.

"Shinji," Misato said, "where are you?"

"I'm sorry Misato! I must have forgotten to set my clocks forward. Or is an Angel attacking? I don't see it."

"That's because there is no Angel." Shinji thought he heard Asuka say 'Baka' in the background, "And daylight saving won't take place for a few more months."

"Then… then where are you and Asuka?" Shinji knew he heard Asuka say 'Baka' that time.

"We are at home. There is no school today. It's the weekend, Shinji."

"Oh…"

"Well, just get back here, bye."

"Bye, hey, wait!"

"Yea? What is it?"

Shinji knew that if he went home, Asuka, if not her and Misato, would dog him for the rest of the weekend, if not longer.

"I… um, I'm going over to Rei's to study for a while."

Shinji could hear Asuka snicker in the background.

"So, um… Bye!" Shinji said hurriedly as he hung up.

Now he had even more reasons not to go home, so he went to Rei's. The door was closed, as always. Shinji tried the buzzer out of shear habit. It had no effect. Shinji tried knocking. It yielded the same effect. Shinji should have learned by now, and his brain finally kicked in. He struggled with the door because of the mail pile at the foot, but finally found his way inside. He found Rei in the kitchen beginning to boil some water. She was wearing the blue dress Shinji had bought for her.

'I'll have to take her out again to get her more casual clothes' Shinji thought.

Then all the things he did with Asuka came back to him and he tried to sift through his thoughts. He finally decided what to do and enacted his plan just as Rei was turning around. She seemed ignorant of Shinji until she found herself being hugged by him. Shinji decided to crank up his courage and went for a full embrace, but quickly lost his nerve.

"Um… Hi Rei! I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. So… what are you doing?"

"I was preparing my lunch."

Shinji looked at his watch. Sure enough, with all of the things that happened and the long walk to Rei's apartment, it was time for lunch.

"Oh… um, is there anything I can help you with? Hey! I've got a great idea Rei!"

"And what would that be, Shinji?"

"Why don't we make lunch here and have a picnic at the park? It's a nice day out, and I think it would be fun."

"Okay, Shinji. Will this be another 'date'?"

"Um… well, I guess. Hey, why don't we start making some sandwiches?" Shinji said, trying to get off the subject.

"Okay, Shinji."

Shinji and Rei began making the sandwiches in silence until Shinji began feeling uncomfortable and broke the silence.

"Rei? Do you… um… do you … I mean to say… are you offended when I hug you? I notice that you really don't do anything when I hug you, and if you don't want me to, I'll stop."

"Shinji, I am confused. I also have a question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have read that hugging is usually one of the things that a 'boyfriend' does with a 'girlfriend'. So why would you act like we should not?"

"Um… well," 'wait,' Shinji thought, 'is she insinuating what I think she is?' "I just don't think that we are 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'." 'Yet.' Shinji added to himself.

"I have also read about several things that 'boyfriends' do with 'girlfriends' and we have done many of those. So I believe by definition we are, what do they call it, 'going out' and that we are 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'."

"Well… I guess if you are alright with that… Sure."

"Shinji, I have also read that many pairs like to kiss to show their emotions towards each other. Shinji, I… I really don't know what I feel. I've never felt this before, but I don't know what feeling this is supposed to be."

"Well… whenever I'm around you, I kind of feel weird, but in a good way. I… I guess I really become happy whenever I'm with you, Rei."

"Then, I believe that I feel the same way around you, Shinji." Rei said, "Shinji… watch out, Shinji."

Shinji tore his gaze away from Rei to notice what Rei was talking about. He had almost let the sandwich he made fall on the floor. He quickly put the sandwich back on the table and looked at Rei only to find her much closer than before and what looked almost like tears in her eyes.

"Shinji, I, I'm scared. These emotions… I don't know them that well. They seem so alien. The only other person who has made me feel even close to this is commander Ikari. But you are not as distant as he is."

Shinji put his arm around Rei's back and tried to calm her down.

"Well then, Rei. I guess we'll just have to get you more used to these emotions, won't we?"

Rei answered by looking up with somewhat of a smile and returned Shinji's hug. She released Shinji and began to finish the sandwich she was working on.

"Um… Rei? Do you have a sheet we can use?"

"I don't believe so. Unless… we could use my bed sheet."

"No! We… we can just take them in bags. Rei, where do you keep them?" But, unfortunately for Shinji, Rei was in the bathroom. Shinji looked around her room and nearly fell over an instrument case. He kneeled down and opened it up just as Rei came out.

"Would you like me to play something for you, Shinji?"

"No, no. That's alright. What instrument is this anyway?"

"It is a viola."

"Oh… well, I play the cello. Maybe we can get together after we go to the park and play a few pieces."

"Yes, Shinji. I have not played with someone else for a long time."

"Well, we'd better get moving."

Rei picked up the bag with the sandwiches within and headed for the door when Shinji stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and Shinji kissed her. He did it nearly like the way he did with Asuka, but this time it was done out of tenderness and loving, not out of pure adrenaline and anger.

"I thought about what you said, and I wanted to show you my emotions towards you." Shinji said somewhat embarrassed. He knew it sounded corny, but he couldn't take back what he had said now. Rei looked at the floor and blushed. She then turned towards the door once more and led Shinji out.

"Oh, and Rei. You should really take care of your mail. You shouldn't let it pile up like that." Rei nodded and Shinji then led her down the stairs and off to the park.

It was a beautifully sunny day and Shinji was glad that he could have some time outside that wasn't when he was in transit in between school, home, or the Geofront. Shinji had underestimated the distance from Rei's apartment to the park. Now he was beginning to sweat. He offered to carry the bags for Rei, but she declined and just walked on. She didn't even seem effected by the heat.

'Must be from soccer practice.' Shinji thought.

They finally arrived at the park and found a spot in the shade of a tree by the pond. Shinji laid out the food; Rei obviously didn't know what to do. They began eating in silence. Shinji always wondered why Rei was so quiet, but it didn't look like he was going to get an answer today. Some people were riding bikes around the park, and some had the same idea that Shinji had, but for the most part, the park was empty. Shinji finished first, his nervousness was making him do just about everything quickly. Shinji slid over to Rei who was looking at the pond and the ducks that took up resident on its surface. He put his arm around her shoulders as she took another bite out of her sandwich.

'She's so… just so beautiful. I wonder what she thinks of me. I know what she said at her apartment, but still…' Shinji thought.

Rei finished her sandwich and now seemed to study the whole park, as if this was the first time she had been. It was, but Shinji didn't know that. Slightly, ever so slightly, did Rei lean against Shinji's arm and smiled ever so slightly. Shinji was oblivious to this, however. The sight coming down the bike path was enough to derail any thought he had of Rei, or anything. He quickly held Rei closer and turned them both to face the other direction. Shinji was hoping that this would make them as unnoticeable as possible. He realized how impossible this would be as he realized that Rei was actually resting her head on his shoulder. Her blue hair was like a neon beacon in the night. Shinji began to sweat as he knew she was coming down the path. Any second she would be in perfect position to see Rei and Shinji, even with their backs to her.

"Shinji? Rei?" it was her voice.

Rei turned under Shinji's grip to see who had called her name and now Shinji's arm was no longer around her back, but around her front. Shinji began to blush and turned so his arm was once more in the correct position, but only to face her. Asuka was sitting on her bike with the brakes depressed and a look of laughter on her face. Shinji could tell that she was doing all she could to hold it in.

"So, Shinji, I thought you were studying at Rei's apartment. So what are you doing here?"

Shinji was about to answer, when Rei decided to interrupt.

"We are having a picnic. Would you like to join us? I believe that we may have some extra."

"No, no. I've already eaten. So, Shinji, what are you studying out here? Maybe… the human body?" Asuka said quickly with a grin.

"We were just… uh, taking a break before we started!" 'Oops, that didn't come out right'

"Shinji, you are one of the strangest kids I've ever met. You do know that one normally takes a break after starting, right?"

"Oh, yea. Well, it was just such a nice day so…"

"Okay, okay. I really don't want to hear anymore. Just keep what you two do together between you two, alright Shinji. I've got to go to Hikari's place. Just don't do anything you might regret, Shinji." Asuka said with a smile as she rode off. Shinji let out a large sigh of relief when she disappeared over the horizon.

"Shinji, what did she mean by, 'don't do anything you might regret'?" Rei asked.

"Uh… um, I don't know. Sometimes Asuka doesn't make any sense; especially when she speaks in English or German."

"I did not know that we were going to study. I would have brought my books. Did you bring your books?"

"Oh…oh, yea, I did; but I left them at your apartment."

"Then we'd better get back."

Sometimes Shinji had no idea as to what went on inside Rei's brain. She was already getting up and out of Shinji's grasp. Shinji got up and grabbed the bags before Rei could finish brushing off the grass. He figured that he could at least do one thing nice for her today. And he didn't want her to carry it back to her apartment just like she carried it to the park.

"Your right, Rei. We'd better get going." Shinji said as he grabbed Rei's hand with his free one. All the way there, Shinji wondered what they were going to study when they got to Rei's apartment. He tried not to think of any of the Hentai thoughts Asuka always seemed to accuse him of, he knew if he did then his hand would get sweaty, but he couldn't think of anything else. They finally reached Rei's apartment and Shinji set the bags on Rei's table as Rei went into her room to retrieve her school books. Shinji was still marveling at the fact that she actually did wear her dress.

"Rei?" Shinji asked when Rei came into the kitchen, "Do you have any other clothes other than your dress and your school clothes?"

Rei looked at him puzzled then went back into her room. She came back out a few minuets later, "No, Shinji, I do not. Is that a problem?"

"Well then, lets go get you some more."

"But, what about studying? That is what you came here to do, isn't it?"

"Well…I just said that so I could have an excuse to stay out of my place. You see, I woke up and thought that I was late for school, and when I got halfway there, Misato called me. I just didn't want to face those two after that. So I decided that I wanted to see you. Besides, we can study after we're finished."

"Okay, Shinji. I will put my books back then." Rei said as she picked up her books and went into her room. Shinji followed, not really knowing why, but figured that he just wanted to be closer to Rei. Shinji looked around Rei's room and realized just how bland it was. No color, no posters, almost like she was planning on moving out. Then he noticed a glasses' case on her nightstand.

"Rei, I didn't know you wore glasses. I've never seen you wear them, though."

"That is because they are not mine. They are Commander Ikari's."

"Oh… so why so you have them?"

It looked like tears were beginning to well up in Rei's eyes as she walked over to the case. She picked it up and said as she faced Shinji, "To serve as a reminder."

"Reminder of what?"

'Bad move,' Shinji thought as the tears in Rei's eyes became obvious. She sat on her bed and Shinji moved over to her, putting his arm around her back.

"What's wrong, Rei?"

"I… I don't know. I remember what happened, but… the pain." Rei said softer than a whisper.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you, Rei. Did… did my father do something to you? Did he hurt you?"

"No… He saved me."

Shinji nearly jumped at what he had heard. His father had saved someone? His father never showed any compassion to him. Why hadn't he been told about what his father had done? Now Rei's tears began flowing. Shinji had no idea what to do, so he tried hugging her harder and rubbing her back. Neither seemed to be changing anything. Shinji desperately searched his memories to find what he should do, but it was yielding nothing. He just sat there, waiting for the tears to subside, which they eventually did. After about a minute after Rei stopped, Shinji tried to look into her eyes. Shinji moved her head up with his finger and for the first time, Shinji believed he saw the real Rei. Not the one piloting with seemingly no regard for her own life, not the one that was silent and unmoving in class, but the real Rei Ayanami. To Shinji's surprise, Rei smiled. She stared right into his eyes and smiled. Shinji smiled back and held Rei in a full embrace. For the first time, Shinji was able to see Rei for who she really was, and that made him happy. He didn't know why Rei had smiled at him, maybe if he realized how much the way his face looked like Gendo's when he saved Rei he would have known, but he was happy just because Rei was. Shinji pushed Rei back a little bit and held the back of her head in his hand. He leaned his head down to hers, bringing his lips to hers. To his surprise again, Rei was not acting the way she did before when Shinji kissed her. She was far more relaxed; Shinji even thought that she may have wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her. They were practically laying on Rei's bed now; she had collapsed on Shinji before, which caused him to lean back on the bed. Then, just before their lips met, they were thrown off the bed by a force that seemed like a shockwave. Rei was now nearly laying on Shinji, who was trying to recover from the impact his head made on the floor. Suddenly, it seemed to Shinji like Rei's leg was vibrating violently when his own leg did the same. They jumped off the floor and realized it was their cell phones. They had both set them to vibrate and they went off at nearly the same time.

"Hello?" Shinji said as he walked over to the other side of the room, hoping that whoever was on the other end wouldn't realize that he was with Rei. It was fruitless.

"Shinji, an Angel is attacking! I need you and Rei to get out here as soon as possible. I'm waiting outside Rei's apartment right now with Asuka." Misato said.

"Why didn't you call sooner?"

"I was driving!"

"All right, we'll be right down." Shinji said as he hung up.

"Rei, an Angel is attacking. Misato is waiting for us downstairs."

"Okay, Shinji."

'Damn you, Angel. Only five more minutes would have been nice. Now I really want you dead.' Shinji thought as he ran down the stairs with Rei.

Asuka had never seen Shinji so ready to fight an Angel. Although this would be only their second time fighting together, Asuka had read up on what had taken place with the other Angel. Both times before, Shinji was nearly forced into his entry plug. Now he had been the first one to his EVA. Asuka wasn't quite sure as to what went on after she left, or even before she got to Shinji and Rei earlier, but now Shinji was acting more determined and Rei looked somewhat troubled.

'But, none of this matters. What does matter, however, is defeating the Angel.' Asuka thought. Asuka had been chatting online with some of her friends from Germany when they had received the call, and she wasn't too pleased when she had to leave.

/"EVAs Launch!" Misato said to the awaiting pilots below. It was just what Asuka and Shinji had been waiting to hear.

/"To your right as you get up to the surface is a supply building. In it you will find some real weapons. I hope you have a good of a handle on these as you do on the ones in the sim." Misato said.

Unit 01 detached from the launch pad and rocked back and forth for a second before it grabbed a rifle from the building. Unit 00 did the same. Unit 02, however, took an automatic rifle and an axe.

"Don't worry, Shinji. I'll show you how to take care of an Angel properly!" Asuka's arrogant voice said over the comm. System.

Then, before Shinji could rebuttal, they saw the Angel for the first time. It looked like a Frisbee from its bottom. The pilots couldn't tell what the top looked like, because it was flying directly over head.

/"Be careful when you use anything other than you rifles. Although it doesn't look like it, the Angel is rotating very rapidly. That's how it stays up there."

"Right, Misato." Shinji said as Unit 01 brought its rifle into firing position. Unit 00 and Unit 02 followed suit, and soon all three were opening fire. The pilots could hear the Angel scream as the first wave of bullets hit its skin. It nearly caused them to stop altogether, but they had their own reasons for continuing. Asuka just always wanted to be the best, and defeating the Angels would be the best way to show it. Shinji was still mad that the Angel had prevented him from trying to get Rei to open up more. That and the fact that he was about to kiss her for only the second time. Rei was just following orders. They let up when the smoke had completely blocked the Angel from sight. Then, the smoke seemed to spiral and then turned into a tornado near the center of the Angel. It didn't move, but none of the pilots wanted to mess with it. Asuka fired a few more rounds into the Angel, but they just ricocheted off the Angel's AT-field.

"What is that?" Asuka said implying the orange-ish barrier as she and the other pilots jumped around, trying to avoid the bullets that were falling from the Angel.

/"That's an AT-field, Asuka. I need you to stand by while Rei and Shinji destroy its AT-field. Then, while they keep the AT-field down, you will have to cut it open and find its core."

Before Misato's plan could be implemented, the Angel moved back towards the mountains. It got about two km away from the EVAs that were now desperately running towards it, when it dropped. The tornado was extinguished immediately, but the shockwaves knocked the three EVAs down. Unit 01 jumped up first and leapt onto the Angel's back. He tore at its AT-field with his progressive knife and Unit 00 soon joined in. Before Unit 02 could get to the hole the other EVAs made, the Angel began rotating again. It flung Unit 01 and 00 on to each other and then to the ground as it rose to the sky once more. Unit 00 was the only one to recover its progressive knife since Unit 01's progressive knife was still stuck in the Angel. The Angel went higher than before, and now it was beginning to rotate slower. Unit 00 ran towards the center of the Angel as it dropped. Unit 02 ran with Unit 00, but stopped before it got into the Angel's range. Unit 02 was preparing to jump on the Angel. Unit 00 found the center and waited. The Angel fell faster and faster. Unit 00 shoved its progressive knife into the Angel just as it made contact with Unit 00. Shinji could not see this, however.

"Rei!" Shinji yelled over the comm. System.

He was relieved when only the Angel's outer edges touched the ground, barely turning up some dust. The form of Unit 00 could be found in the center of the Angel just before its progressive knife burst through the other side. Asuka took her chance. Unit 02 jumped on the Angel and began pouring rounds into its hide. The damage from before and from Unit 00's latest move left the Angel with about no AT-field. That and Unit 00 and 01 were now using their own AT-Fields to neutralize the Angel's. Asuka would have sat back and just watched the light show that was commencing as the AT-fields struck against one another if she didn't have other things to worry about. Unit 00 and 01 were perpendicular with each other and their AT-fields were forming a corner against the AT-field of the Angel. Unit 02 was now searching the Angel for its core by chopping up parts of it with its axe. Unit 02 swung at the Angel and it suddenly let out a large shake. It nearly knocked all the EVAs off, but it gave up on its attempts to keep Unit 01 and 00 away. Its AT-field crumbled under Unit 00 and 01's and soon the two EVAs were pushing into the Angel without even realizing it.

"Asuka! We've found the core! Get over here now!" Shinji said.

Unit 02 ran over the body of the Angel to the other two EVAs and saw the core. Unit 02 swung its axe down and impacted the core. Sparks flew from the axe and the core as Unit 02 pushed harder. Asuka could taste victory. This would make two Angels defeated. Asuka 2 - Angels 0. The thought of this made Asuka want it even more. Although the pilots are linked to the EVAs through the entry plug and LCL, Asuka could feel the axe in her hands, she could feel the resistance. She could feel the Angel writhing beneath her. Then, it stopped. The sensation, the resistance, the writhing, all of it had stopped. She had torn through the core completely.

"Alright! See, Shinji, that's how you defeat an Angel." Asuka said beaming with arrogance.

"Hey! You wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for Rei and me." Shinji defended.

"I could have defeated him easily, you two were just along for the ride."

"What!? We kept his AT-field down so you could attack him. Don't you remember when you tried to hit him with your rifle? You almost ended up hitting us instead!"

"I would have figured out a way."

"We must return now." Rei said, interrupting Shinji and Asuka.

Shinji nodded and followed closely behind Unit 00. Asuka sighed and then went back to the Geofront herself.

End Chapter #7