JUNE 11th, 2015

MEDICAL CENTER, NERV HQ

8:23am:

He opened his eyes.

A white ceiling, coupled with those overwhelming lights again. He squinted immediately, not taking too long to recognize this place. This unfamiliar ceiling was becoming quite familiar now, but unlike the other times he had seen it, there was no confusion or dread upon waking up to this sight once more.

As soon as he awoke, he was actually glad he chose to return.

'My eyes are open... I'm alive after all.' He thought. 'That realm I was in, and seeing mother again after all this time... was any of that real? Was I in a coma-induced dream state or something? No, it couldn't be that.'

He tried to think about what happened right before that whole mental journey took place, but was having a hard time recollecting anything about the days before the core absorbed him. The only thing he could even slightly recall from before the core incident were the emotions he felt. He couldn't picture anything from those days in his head, but somewhere in his heart he felt like he had unleashed some kind of sick rage.

Of course, he didn't remember Toji reviving him with a BR-ZRK injection at all. Only the feeling of unhinged catharsis.

The thought messed with his head, but he figured it was just one of the many existential nightmares he had while in the dream-like realm. Thinking back to all those personal attacks his own mind was throwing at him, he was glad to have gotten out of there. What worried him though, was how towards the end of his stay there he thought about staying forever.

Maybe it was because he saw his mother, the one person who showed him the most love in his life, that he wanted to forget about the real world. He had stayed in there long enough to start losing his grip on reality, and only the nothingness of the dream state made any sense to him anymore. Right before Yui sent him back, he feared living again. His life was far too painful for him to want to wake up at NERV HQ again. But when he awoke, Rei was there for him.

The first thing he received upon returning to this world of pain he feared so much, was a hug.

Thinking back to that moment made him smile. Seeing her react emotionally to his return made him forget about the fact he was back in the real world. He realized that maybe this world that had beat him down so many times before wasn't all that bad. He remembered blacking out again once he was put on his stretcher, only to wake up back in one of the medical center's many rooms.

Shinji sat up, slowing down once he felt an ache in his chest. It was more of a slight discomfort, since the physical pain wasn't excruciating. He was having a hard time remembering how he wound up here again, not knowing that he had been out for an entire month. All he knew, is that what he felt in his chest was most likely directly related to it.

However, something else caught his attention once being seated upright. His forehead was lightly brushed by something, and as soon as he reached up to feel what it was, he felt hair.

Much more hair than he ever had before.

"Wait, what?" He said to himself, looking around to check for any mirror or reflection he could use to take a proper look at himself.

On the night table beside his hospital bed, a handheld mirror was conveniently just right there for him to use. He reached for it, and pointed the reflective side towards his face. Needless to say, he was in shock.

His hair wasn't all that long, it being only about ear length. But it was pretty messy and shaggy, since there was no care given to it while he was still in the core. This finally got him wondering just how long he was unconscious for, and what had gone on while he was out. For his hair to grow this long while he was in his dream state, he must have been out for some time.

'Just what the hell is going on? This is all so bizarre... am I still unconscious?'

Then he heard the door to his room open, and a nurse came in to check on the puzzled patient.

"Good morning, Ikari." The young woman said. "You're finally up! I've got to say, your recovery is quite the miracle."

"Recovery?" He asked, still extremely confused about everything that had gone on.

"Yes, I'll explain everything eventually. First thing's first, I'm just going to give you a quick check-up. You should be alright, but it's Dr. Akagi's orders." The nurse told him.

Shinji nodded, still trying to process all the change that had occurred without him even being around to witness it.

'If I was really out long enough to grow my hair to this length, then I wonder what else has changed when I was gone...'

As the nurse sat next to him to began his check-up, Shinji wanted answers now. He knew she already offered to tell him at a later time, but his confusion only served to make him more anxious about being back, even if he already accepted his return to the real world.

"What happened?" He asked. "Like, how did I end up here? I don't remember a single thing from before I passed out."

"Like I said, I'll get to that eventually. Right now what I need you to do-"

"I want answers, please." He insisted.

"Look Ikari, I'll tell you what I've been told in due time. Now please, just work with me so we can get this done as soon-"

"Why is my hair longer? Just how long have I been out for? What even happened to me? Why did I see all those weird visions when I was out?" He interrupted again.

"Ikari, plea-"

"Answer me!" He shouted, having lost his cool now.

The nurse sighed, more out of annoyance than anything. She put her clipboard down for now, and decided the check-up could be delayed for just a few minutes. She knew the boy wasn't going to let go, and that it would only make him more anxious if he didn't get his answers soon.

"That pod, the one that coded your combat training into you, do you remember it?" She asked.

He nodded.

"You were... ingested by it."

Now he was even more puzzled than before.

"What the hell do you mean by 'ingested'?"

"I don't know... that's all that Dr. Akagi would tell me about what happened." She answered honestly. Shinji had noticeably calmed down a little more, but another question still lingered.

"Well, then just how long was I in there for?"

The nurse looked a little nervous herself now.

"An entire month."

9:02am:

The wheels of the service cart rolled on and on, making small thumps as it went over the end of each floor pane in the halls of the medical center. A delicious, warm breakfast rested atop a food tray as the smell continually passed by Rei's nostrils on her way to Shinji's room.

'I hope it's still warm enough for his enjoyment.' She thought.

She wasn't sure if he was even awake yet, but took the chance to see him once again after he had to be taken in by the medical staff over at the laboratory the day prior. But even if she didn't get to see him all that much lately, she was no longer feeling that great pain that bothered her for so long. Shinji was safe, as if given back to her as a gift from god.

Shinji's friends were not yet notified of his recovery, but would be told in due time. Right now, he had to adjust to reality once more before being able to go back to school, or even serve with Unit-01 again.

But not even Rei knew of the pending court martial he was about to receive.

She was almost at her destination, having finally found his room number as she approached it with his food. She began to feel a little anxious as she neared his door, however. The eagerness to see him certainly was there, but Rei was feeling nervous about facing him again. Last time she saw him, he was being wheeled away to his room while still in a daze as he still tried to make sense of what was going on.

Not wanting to stay to far from him as he recovered from the extraction process, Rei stayed at HQ for the night along with Misato. Both wanted to tend to his every need as soon as he awoke, with Misato letting Rei do all the work since she found it very sweet of her to do so. Finally, she was at his door. She reached out to open it, but hesitated for a moment.

'My hands are sweating.' She noticed once she let go of the cart's handle, even taking note of the light tremble it was giving out.

Then much to her surprise, the door opened revealing Shinji on the other side. He was caught off-guard as well, not having expected Rei to still be at the medical center, especially at this early hour. The two shared an awkward moment of silence, neither knowing what to say to each other after what happened last night. Unbeknownst to Rei however, Shinji was in a state of shock from having been told about what happened to him.

A whole month had passed by, and the fear of all the change he wasn't around for had shook him.

But that overwhelming information vanished once he saw Rei again. Seeing that familiar blue hair of hers and those striking crimson eyes always fascinated him, a trait he thought made her not only unique, but stunning to look at. His cheeks reddened just a little.

"H-Hi..." He sheepishly greeted her. Rei was still silent.

He looked down at the breakfast Rei brought for him, feeling his stomach growl as he hadn't eaten for quite some time. He looked back up at Rei, in part wanting to thank her for the food, but to also break the silence between them. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted.

"Shinji..." Rei began, trying to find the words she wanted to say to him. "I'm glad you're-" She stopped again.

Shinji waited in silence.

'No, glad is not the right word.' She thought, mentally correcting herself. "I'm... happy to see you again."

Shinji was still quite surprised by the sight of a crying Rei from the night before, always having thought she was the strongest and most grounded person he knew. But he didn't see this as a flaw. He was actually proud of her for finally letting her emotions finally show.

'Bottling up all these emotions must've really hurt her... man, what happened while I was gone?' Mused Shinji.

"Th-Thank you, Rei... It's good to see you too." He replied.

Another awkward silence followed.

"Well, I should leave you with your breakfast then. I take it that you are tired, and I wouldn't want to keep you up longer than needed." Rei said as she backed up just a little. "Go get some rest, Shinji."

"Rei, wait-" He said as he grabbed her by the arm.

She felt that warm feeling again, but wasn't confused by it this time around. She knew exactly what it was she was feeling, all thanks to her talk with Misato a month prior. She looked at him in the eyes, allowing him to say what he needed to say to her then. Shinji gulped nervously, and then continued.

"-um, would you like to come in? For a little while?"

GENDO'S OFFICE

9:45am:

"Unit-01 is scheduled for another deployment next week." The Commander stated. "Inspector Kaji's investigation on the Angel's new invasive tactics has given us clear evidence that they have utilized vast underground tunnels. Ones they've managed to create themselves. Unit-01 will be in charge of spotting the enemy before they complete another tunnel. Major Katsuragi should receive the details of the operation soon.."

While Ritsuko and her team were busy working on recovering Shinji, Kaji was deployed to Sai-Kuru and conducted his investigation. He found numerous tunnel entrances scattered all around the bottom floors of one of the surrounding buildings within the evacuated city.

He didn't get too far, however. As once he tried entering them, he found that the Angels had imploded and collapsed the walls of the tunnel so no one could get through and backtrack. He was only able to find the exits they created, but wasn't able to explore any further. This knowledge proved useful to Commander Ikari, who was now determined to foil this new tactic.

All that Unit-01 needed before deployment, were 2 replacement troops.

"The Marduk Institute has finally weeded out a potential recruit for Unit-01, an apparent 'perfect fit'. They're still looking for a second replacement."

"A second recruit... one to replace your son, I presume?" Fuyutsuki asked, to which Gendo nodded in response.

"Indeed. He is to be discharged as soon as he has fully recovered."

"So..." The Sub-Commander started. "-what happens to Ikari now?"

"Once the medical center releases him, he will be dishonorably discharged from NERV. He is to face a month of confinement for his actions, possibly more if the investigation uncovers any other violations he may have committed. Whatever happens to him now is out of my hands." Gendo explained.

Fuyutsuki's eyes narrowed at him.

"And you're okay with this?" He questioned. "Your son was a vital part of your plans, Commander. You're taking this way too lightly for someone who's life work has just been demolished in a span of a month. All those years building up this 'empire' of yours... wasted!"

"One must not dwell on such things. If one path leads nowhere, then another will be carved in its place. There is no time to spare." The Commander replied.

Fuyutsuki stared at Gendo in silence for a moment. To the Commander's credit, he knew how to keep cool very well under the worst circumstances. But what always peeved the Sub-Commander off about Gendo's 'always calm' attitude was that it made him look like he never took anything seriously. He knew that not to be the case, and that Gendo was always in control of things one way or another.

'Perhaps it is just his cockiness that irritates me... after all, we've come thus far since Second Impact because of him.'

But he wasn't any less annoyed by the man. Not only was everything they worked towards just swept from under their feet, but Gendo still showed no signs of care towards the closest family member he had. Shinji was already damaged beforehand, but he wondered of the implications the trauma of war would bring if he was to be sent back home.

Kozo frowned.

"Another thing that concerns me, Commander... is that your boy was never truly fit for battle. Yes, you and Dr. Akagi may have found a way to train his body and reflexes for war through a scientific miracle, but he was never mentally prepared for the job. Don't you think that punishing him after all you've put him through will only further hurt the boy?"

"His emotions are not something to take into account in ending this war, professor. NERV's current top priority is to end this conflict once and for all, and then we can proceed with instrumentality." Said Gendo.

The man was truly heartless.

It was actually beginning to anger the older man, but he didn't show it. To do otherwise would be unprofessional, so he kept a leveled tone to his voice when questioning Gendo.

"The least you could do is spare him the confinement, Commander." Fuyutsuki suggested. "Sending him home after he's made all these new connections here is enough punishment in my eyes."

"Fuyutsuki, that is not up for me to decide. A law is a law, and if it is broken by someone they are to face their consequences." The Commander said.

In the end, Gendo was telling the truth. There was nothing he could do about it, even in his position. He dictated NERV's political actions and lead the war against SEELE, but mandatory regulations regarding its personnel was something he wasn't allowed to have a say in. But Fuyutsuki still resented the lack of humanity from this man, which made him think back to one of the biggest questions he had asked himself all these years;

'What did Yui see in this man?'

He sighed.

"Very well, then. But I fear this may bring forth a new problem, Commander Ikari."

"And what would that be?" Asked Gendo.

"Rei. Without your son, she may be less inclined to fight the Angels." Kozo explained. "It's apparent that she's formed some sort of bond with him, there's no doubt it was his disappearance that caused her emotional outburst last month."

Gendo didn't respond, leaving Fuyutsuki with nothing but dead air for a few seconds.

"You didn't see it coming, did you?" The ex-professor asked. "You expected Shinji to take an interest in her, but you didn't think for a second that Rei would grow attached to him... this little plan of yours turned out to be a double-edged sword, Ikari."

Gendo remained silent. Fuyutsuki's impatience only continued to worsen, but he still kept his tone in check.

"So what is to be done about this? Can anything even be done about this?"

The Commander then left his chair and went for the lift, apparently needing to take care of something right then and there. At first, Fuyutsuki thought he genuinely had no answer to give him. But right before finally leaving his office, Gendo turned to him.

"Dr. Akagi and I will handle that. It's just as I explained before... if one path leads nowhere, then another another will be carved in its place." He said to Fuyutsuki. "The same goes for Rei."

The Sub-Commander didn't understand exactly what he meant by that, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it one bit. Gendo turned back to the elevator door just as it opened.

Then he finally left.

MEDICAL CENTER

9:53am:

'It's funny...' Thought Shinji as he observed the Geo Front through the window. 'I've returned to reality, but I woke up at the Geo Front. The underground city for the rich... this isn't the same reality everyone on the surface lives in.'

He knew that it was probably raining up on the surface where Tokyo-3 resided. The surface was where the middle and lower class endured the toxic rain, as did the unfortunate homeless residents of the city. He turned his attention to the holographic skies, staring at them in amazement of its authenticity.

'It certainly looks impressive, but in the end it's just not the real thing.' He thought. 'Up above is where the rain never ends... but I'd rather live with the truth than to hide from it.'

The talks he had with his mother really planted this idea in his head. Facing reality. He was still worried about being back at first, but he kept thinking back to the last things Yui said about fighting for himself and his loved ones. It was as if the idea had contaminated his mind, spreading like a virus.

For the first time in a while, even under the current circumstances, he felt at peace.

"Is something wrong?" Rei asked out of the blue, taking Shinji's attention from the window to her.

He was so distracted that he almost forgot he was still in the medical center, seated on his bed as Rei occupied the chair beside it.

"Ah- sorry, Rei. I was just spacing out to the view of the city." He said to her.

"I see." She replied.

Then it got quiet again. Shinji began to guilt himself for not giving her any attention and just thinking to himself. She was there to see him, after all. And she was even nice enough to bring him a delicious breakfast.

"Sorry I've been so quiet... I'm still trying to process everything that's been told to me, you know. It's a lot to take in." He explained.

"Everything that's been told to you? Regarding what?" Rei repeated.

"About some core that sucked me in, or something." Shinji specified. "And that I was gone for a whole month. That's just... insane. It's also kinda scary, you know? I mean all my friends, including you, go to war every other week. I guess my greatest fear right now is finding out that someone I know or care for has died... that would break me."

"Unit-01 has not been suitable for deployment since the Sai-Kuru attack." Said Rei. "Everyone you know is well."

"Sai-Kuru..." Shinji said as he found that name had rung a bell. "That was that base we were stationed in, right?"

"Yes. Do you not remember?" She asked. Shinji nodded.

"Not at all, the days before I was gone are a total blur to me."

"We were stationed at Sai-Kuru base in central Matsuyama when an Angel Regiment launched a surprise attack on us overnight. We managed to push them back with air support, but suffered heavy losses." Rei detailed.

It was coming back to him now, the chain of events beginning to slowly piece themselves together in his head.

"As you were probably told, you were shot some time during the battle. But how you were alive for so long, I do not know." She added.

"Yeah, the nurse filled me in on that one." Shinji said.

Rei then looked down, feeling the warmth come back as she remembered the close call she had in the battle. The second close call that Shinji went out of his way to save her from.

"You also saved my life again..."

That memory also began coming back to him.

"A-Ah... I did, didn't I?" He nervously said. "Um, I mean- sorry I didn't remember that bit. Or-? Wait, sorry... that sounded dumb. I mean, I'm glad I saved you again and-"

He stopped when he noticed she was staring deeply into his eyes. Her red eyes were so hypnotic, it ceased all the thoughts in his head in that moment. He gulped.

"Shinji, may I sit with you?" She asked him.

"Um... what?" A puzzled Shinji asked back.

"I just need to tell you something, unless you do not feel comfortable with me sitting next to you." Rei said.

"No no, you can sit if you'd like..." He told her as he moved his legs from the middle of the bed to the edge of it, facing the window and its view of the Geo Front.

Rei left her seat and approached Shinji, sitting beside him and taking in the view as well. Both were unsure of what to say to each other, or if they should even say anything at all. They were even avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment. But both also felt that the peace was very nice, and being there for one another felt even better.

"Thank you, Shinji." Rei finally said to him.

"For saving your life?" He asked, to which Rei shook her head 'no' to.

"For everything."

Shinji wasn't very sure what she meant by that, finding her answer kind of vague.

"Every...thing?"

"Before that stealth mission near the Seikatsu, my life back here was nothing but orders and tests, or whatever the Commander wanted of me... but it did not feel that way at the time. I can only say so when looking back because the first time you saved me, you did it out of care, and not need. Not like your father did." She explained.

Shinji's eyes narrowed at the mention of his father.

"It was when you saved me that I got my first taste of being truly cared for. I always thought the Commander cared for me, but I've come to realize that isn't true. When we became friends, which was another first for me, it made me realize something else-"

Shinji turned to look at her now.

"-before you were in my life, I was so lonely..." Rei admitted.

That last sentence saddened him. He was yet again looking at an emotional Rei, one that was far more comfortable opening up to him. He hated that his father could do such a thing to someone so young. But then he realized that it didn't really matter anymore because this Rei was different. Whether she fully let go of Gendo, he couldn't tell. But it looked as if she was beginning to shed her past.

"We began to see each other more often, and soon I realized that your father was no longer the only other person in this world that I valued. But these thoughts confused me, because I was always taught not to bother with others... it is why I was so distant to you back at Sai-Kuru, and for that I apologize." She continued.

Shinji did remember that weird 2-week span of loneliness he had gone through, worried that Rei might've suddenly disliked him. He also recalled the cycle of overthinking he went through, and as his mother had put it; 'all the little hatreds he directed at himself'.

"U-Um, that was a weird time for everyone there, I think." He tried assuring her. "But it's okay, I'm not upset about it."

"Good." Said Rei. "Because there's something else I must tell you."

Rei's palms began to sweat again, the light tremble coming back as well.

"The second time you saved me, you held my hand in such a way that made me feel... different." She said. "I've been saved by others in our unit before, but both times you did it I always felt cared for. Everyone else did it out of obligation. When you held my hand, I felt safe. I felt happy."

Shinji's face was turning red again, and he had to look away.

"When the core absorbed you, it took away the only person I called my friend. It was then that I realized just how lonely I've been my whole life. I was so confused when you were gone, that my emotions began to show more and more. I was really troubled, Shinji. I was devastated."

'That explains her crying last night...' Mused Shinji.

"But Miss Misato was kind enough to look after me, and we talked about what I was going through. I explained to her that when you held my hand, I felt cared for. And when the medivac took the both of us back home, I held your hand the whole way through. When I had to let go of it for the doctors to take care of you, it hurt me to do so. And though I longed for your return, and to hold your hand again, I didn't know what it meant at all. But now I do..." She said to him.

Shinji's head was racing now.

'She couldn't possibly mean-? No... I doubt it...' He thought to himself. 'But, it wouldn't hurt to ask...'

Shinji took a deep breath to try and calm himself down, doubting the thought that was bouncing within the walls of his head.

"Well... what does it mean, then?" He asked, his voice a little shaky.

Rei's heart was beating rather quickly now, as there was no way she could avoid telling him the truth now. She looked at him now, and Shinji looked back. Rei needed to let this out of her chest, and so she finally decided to tell him.

"It means... I love you."

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. She was actually confessing to him. She had feelings for him. He was almost convinced he was still dreaming for a second, still thinking that it was impossible for anyone to love him. He never thought he was worthy of anyone's love.

Rei then placed her hand over his on the bed's edge, feeling that magnetic attraction to him once more.

"R-Rei..." He said, not hiding his blushed face anymore.

They stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if getting lost in a world of their own. To them, nothing else in the world mattered anymore. It was just them, no one else. Rei's eyes kept going back and forth from Shinji's eyes to his lips, which he easily noticed.

She thought back to the kissing couple she saw a while back, and the love they had for each other. What they had with each other is what she wanted with him.

'She's so beautiful...' Shinji thought.

Then their faces inched closer. Closer and closer, as if they couldn't stand to be separate anymore. Rei began to close her eyes, and Shinji did the same.

Then the door was suddenly opened, causing them to back off from each other. They looked over at the doorway, only to be presented with a sight they both found truly unpleasant. It was him.

"Rei." The Commander's low voice rung like an ominous reminder of where they were, and who they served. "Come with me. You are needed at my office."

She hated his use of that word. He didn't 'need' her, not like she needed Shinji right now. But thinking back to what Misato told her, she had to comply. She didn't want to give Gendo and Ritsuko a reason to double down on their control over her, so she needed to act professional. At least for now.

Rei looked back at Shinji, who was now staring out the window again. He refused to look at his father's direction.

'Prick...' He thought angrily. 'Always here to take her away from me... fucking PRICK!'

She left the hospital bed somberly, hating that she had to leave Shinji after finally letting her feelings for him be known. But she stopped once more before following Gendo up to his office.

"I'll come visit you again when I'm done, Shinji." She told him with a faint smile.

Shinji smiled back.

"Alright, Rei. I'll see you then." He replied.

The Commander stayed silent, but was most unhappy with what he was seeing now. His little puppet was breaking free from the strings he dictated her every move with. Rei finally followed him out the room, the door closing behind them. Shinji found himself being alone again. But not alone like he was before.

He laid back down on his hospital bed, thinking of Rei and only Rei. There was no way she was going to leave his mind now.

'She loves me...' He mused. 'She... loves me!'

He still couldn't believe any of this was true. For a second, he thought that maybe some kind of cruel trick was being played on him, and that he was really in another, more deceiving dream state. But this was in fact reality. There was no way it couldn't be real.

He wished they could've actually kissed. The closer their faces got to each other, the warmer his heart felt. He never felt love like that before, even his first kiss with Asuka was only driven by lust. But with Rei, it was something else. She was something else.

Was this a new beginning? Was this to be an exciting new chapter of his life? If so, he was glad he listened to Yui back in the core.

'I can't believe I almost threw all this away...' Shinji thought. 'If I had never come back, I would never see her again. Or even have heard those words. Rei loves me, I can't believe it...'

It was the first time he had heard anyone say that to him.

'She loves me... and, I love her too.'