Rei kept her unblinking eyes on Shinji. There were hundreds of time in the past 6 months that she had wanted to talk to him. She had even called his cell a few times but chickened out when she would get to the last number. She did not want to relive the pain that she had been through when she had seen Asuka and Shinji kissing. Misato had tried to explain to her that it had been a side effect of the vaccine that Shinji had been injected with. She had even given Rei the top-secret documents about Shinji's treatment. But it all came down to one thing: he had been the one to choose to leave.

Shinji felt like his breathe was caught in his chest. She was beautiful to him. She was wearing one of the things she had bought on their date to the mall. He took each breathe in slowly as possible. He reveled in the scent that floated through the air. He loved it. He wished more than anything this moment would last.

Rei looked at him with concern, "Shin…Ikari. Are you not well? You seem to have trouble breathing and your face has taken a reddish tint."

Shinji was shaken back to his senses, "I'm fine Rei." His heart had almost shattered when he hear her call him by his last name. Had she really gotten past him? Who was he kidding, of course she did. He knew what their relationship was now. He loved her, but she had gotten past him. He was the good friend that would never be more than that: a friend.

Rei frowned when Shinji seemed to space out once again. She walked up to him and felt his forehead. Shinji was once again brought back to reality. He stumbled backwards several steps. Rei stared at him with narrow eyes, "You are unwell. I shall report this to Commander Katsuragi." She then tried to turn the knob to the door only to have it locked. She frowned, "Why did the Commander lock us in? Did she not know you were unwell?"

"I'm not sick Rei. It just kind of surprised me to find you here."

Rei tilted her head to the side, "Why? This is my place of employment."

"I-I know. It's just that I asked her not to schedule us together for a while."

Rei bowed her head, "I understand." She then started for her terminal. "I shall cover the communications if you will watch the monitors." The years of emotional coldness allowed her to easily hide the crack in her voice, "We must get to work now Ikari."

Shinji started for his terminal, "Yeah okay."

Rei stared at the back of his head. She knew what their relationship was now. She loved him, but he only cared for Asuka. Asuka held his heart. Rei had filled this role before, but this time she knew she had feelings for him. She was the good friend that would never be more than that: a friend.

---Outside the room---

Misato sighed as she sat in the floor next to the locked door. She had been listening in on them. She shook her head, "At least they still care for the other, now they just have to realize that." She quickly rose her head when she heard some commotion coming down the hall.

Asuka stormed down the hall. Her eyes lit on fire as she saw Misato. She practically went into terminator mode staring at Misato remembering every old injury she had heard of, every weakness, and then making a plan of action.

Misato sighed again when she saw Asuka and mumbled to herself, "This is where it gets interesting."

Asuka restarted her storm down the hall keep her eyes on Misato's in a battle for mental dominance. The first to blink would be giving up a crucial victory. She stopped just inches from Misato who seemed bored with the whole staring contest. "Where's my Shinji?"

Misato smiled sweetly, "Oh, I had a hot date tonight and asked him to cover my shift. He sure is reliable." Misato sweated inwardly, That's it old girl. Just keep up with the story. Short concise answers……wait did I just call myself old girl?

Asuka sneered at her, Come on blink, blink, blink, blink. BLINK DAMN YOU OLD HAG! ADMIT MY DOMMINACE! "But don't you usually work with Ayanami now a days?"

Misato rubbed the back of her head and laughed, "I have no idea what you mean. I mean I know me and Rei have gotten a little close but-"

Asuka's eyes narrowed, "Who's on shift with Shinji tonight?"

Misato gulped. She knew what Asuka could get like if she got angry. The purple haired commander started to worry about her well-being.

"One more time Misato, who's in that room with my Shinji!"

Misato gathered the last of her courage. Time to stand her ground. She could take this red haired bitch…right? Right? "You're right Asuka. Rei's in there with Shinji."

Asuka shoved past Misato and started to try and open the door. When it proved to be locked, she looked over to Misato and held out her hand, "The key. Give it now."

Misato shook her head, "They need to talk out their problems."

"Ayanami needs to learn to keep her hands off my Shinji."

Misato scoffed, "He doesn't seem like your Shinji. He's completely ignoring every pass or flirt you make. Face it; he doesn't want to be with you."

Asuka drove her fist into the wall making it crack slightly, "He's just in denial right now. He loves me. He just doesn't see it yet."

---inside the room---

Shinji looked at the wall when he heard a thud. He looked back at Rei to receive a nod. He switched the main camera to directly outside the room to see Asuka and Misato arguing. Both of them frowned at the image.

"Soryu is not pleased. Perhaps you should let her in."

Shinji shook his head, "I don't want to talk to her right now."

"I do not understand. Are you having a fight?"

Shinji chuckled, "The whole past 6 months has been a fight."

Rei rose an eyebrow, "I do not understand."

"She's been hanging all over me. She throws herself at me, sometimes physically. But I just don't like her that way anymore."

"I do not understand," restated Rei.

Shinji sighed, "It's not important. I-" He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her. This was the most contact they had had in six months.

"It seems to be important to you Ikari."

Shinji bowed his head, Now or never. "I don't think I'll ever seem someone like that anymore."

"Why?"

"Because I caused the one person I love pain and now she hates me."

"She will forgive you eventually," comforted a clueless Rei.

Shinji caught on and shook his head, "No she won't. She deserves better than me anyway. She doesn't even know I still love her."

Rei's heart crashed. He did love someone else. The strange thing was it was not Asuka. She had to find out who this new person was. "Then you must leave and inform her. I shall help you escape." She started to pull Shinji out of his chair.

Okay, final hurdle. Just tell her. She'll say that she doesn't love you that way anymore, and you can get on with your life. He stood slowly and held Rei in front of him, "I don't have to leave to tell the woman I love I love her. Because she's standing right here in front of me."

Rei's heart stopped, He still loves me? I must tell him I love him.

Shinji stared at her as it felt like his heart died. He might as well have just shot himself in the foot. He had lost the love of his life as a girlfriend, and now he would lose her as a friend. He sunk back into his chair and watched the monitor as he saw the verbal debate between Asuka and Misato had turned into the two of them trying to choke the other out. He sighed, "We should call security and get them to break those two up."

She stared at Shinji in disbelief. He had just admitted he still loved her and then went back to work like it meant nothing. "Ikari…Shinji."

Shinji looked at him unable to hide the pain in his eye, "I'm sorry Rei. I know being around me causes you pain."

"How-"

Shinji looked away, "I went after you that night. I saw you crying and heard what you said." Tears started to fall as he continued, "I've done a horrible thing Rei. I caused the one woman I love so much pain. I just wish that that vaccine had killed me."

Rei fell to her knees wrapping her arms around Shinji, "I do not wish to be apart. I did hurt, but to be without you hurts so much more."

Shinji looked at her and smiled, "So we'll just forget these last 6 months every happened?"

Rei shook her head, "I never want to forget that pain, because it makes me want you even more."

Shinji was soon on his knees next to Rei. He slowly leaned forward and kisses her. When they broke he rested his forehead against Rei's. "You want me to move back?"

Rei nodded.

Shinji smiled as he felt like he had been completed. He playfully kissed her on the tip of her nose. "I'll get my stuff after we get off. But we have one problem." They then heard another thump against the wall, "What do we do about Asuka?"