Nothing Will Ever Change That

Disclaimer- I do not own anything involving NGE.

PLEASE READ THIS! DO NOT SKIM THIS NOTICE! READ WHAT IS BELOW!

Look, I screwed up big time! To all of you that have been reading my story before the date of 3-17-06, please go back and read chapters 5 and 6! I screwed up the load up, so I fixed it. You already read Chapter 6, thinking that it was chapter five. Chapter 6 was called School. I skipped 5 all together, it is titled Do You, I know it had the title before, but… look, just read it. So, there is a kind-of-new chapter in chapter 5. The chapter you guys haven't read is my favorite one of this story, and I think you'll like it. How come nobody noticed that the title and chapter name didn't match!

Chapter 44: Late

NERV – Cafeteria

Gendo may have been able to keep us in separate rooms, but not apart. It has been two weeks since Misato's death, and truthfully, I'm okay with it. I have accepted my feelings on the matter and – while it still scares me – have moved past it. This morning, Asuka called me this morning in a panic and told me to meet her here. I have been waiting for her about an hour now, but still no sign. I have talked to Sam and Cass while they ate breakfast, and neither of them knew anything about her. They left and I waited a few more minutes. I was just picking up my phone when she came into sight.

"Oh, hey Asuka. Are you okay?" she was sweating. She wiped a few drops of sweat from her head and rose to meet my eyes.

"Shinji! We are in some deep shit!" I hand her a drink, but she passes it up.

"What's going on? What happened?" she was in a panic! I've never seen her like this before.

"It's not what has happened, it's what HASN'T happened! We are so screwed!" what was she talking about?

"Asuka, calm down. Just tell me what's wrong!" she did start to calm down, but still looked horrible.

"Shinji… I'm late…" what? What was she late for?

"Huh? Late for what?" what could be this important?

"Oh come on! Don't make me spell it out for you! Didn't you pay attention in health class!" actually, no, "Ugh! Look, I'm late for… damnit, this is so wrong… I'm late on my cycle!" I'm still lost.

"Uh… lets pretend I know what that means…" she gives me a disgusted look.

"This is not a joking matter! Damit, Shinji! I haven't had my 'time of the month' yet!" now I know.

"WHAT! You're kidding me! Asuka, please tell me this is a joke!" she shakes her head violently, "Asuka, are you…?"

"Its not for certain, but chances are yes! Shinji, what are we going to do? I don't want a baby… not yet!" this can't be happening!

"Look, you can't tell anyone about this!" I knew they would find out eventually, "Until we know for sure, don't say a word. God, I knew this would happen!" my heart feels like it's in my stomach.

"So what, we just ignore it? Shinji, this isn't a bad grade, it's a human being! We can't ignore it! All we can do for now is wait and see if I am… pregnant," if she was, it would be our second child. I just can't handle this!

"Asuka, come with me," I take her hand and bring her to my room. I knew Gendo would find out, but I had to talk with her in private. When we get to my room, I sat her down on the bed. "Asuka, we have to think this through before we panic." What was there to think about?

"Okay… I-I need to think about this. I need to… oh, God…" she gets up and leaves for her room. She was right; chances are that I'm a father. That hit hard. Real hard. I have been a father before, but that was different. I didn't conceive that child, this one, I took the responsibility and risk of sleeping with her. I'm not saying that I'm paying for it, but I was worried. Many thoughts crossed my mind. How would she react to being 'fat'? Asuka took great pride in how she looked. How would she assume the position of a mother? Truthfully, I don't think either of us were ready, especially her.

"I have to talk to someone…" I needed to let it out. I needed to just talk and have someone listen. I knew that it was a bad idea, but I had to. But who could I talk to? Ritsuko? No, she would tell Gendo. Sam? Another no, she would freak out. Cass was out too, he wouldn't take it seriously. It was at that time I realized that I did need Misato. She would be the one I would go to. Kaji would be another choice, but he's gone too. What about Hikari? Sure, she would freak out, but Hikari is Asuka's friend, she would understand. No-one else came to mind, so I decided to call her. I dial her phone-number and wait.

"Hello?" her sweet, subtle voice came on.

"Hi, it's Shinji. Hikari… can I talk to you?" I can't believe I'm doing this.

"Sure, what do you need?" if she only knew…

"I can't tell you over the phone. Can you meet me at the mall?" she pauses for a second.

"Uh… sure. How about in an hour?" thank God.

"That's perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much." No, I didn't sound needy! We both hung up and I started to get ready. I wore a pair of jeans with a white t-shirt. On the way out, I was able to hear Asuka sobbing in her room. I just tried to ignore it and headed on my way. I called a cab and went to the mall. I saw Hikari waiting outside, it looked like she was just arriving. I walk up to her. "Hikari! Hey! Wait up!" She turns around and smiles.

"Hey, are you okay?" anything but!

"Actually, no. before I tell you, you must promise me you won't say a word to anyone else. Seriously!" Maybe I was a little too forward with her.

"S-sure. What is it?" I walk her over to a bench and sit her down.

"Look, you know how me and Asuka have been going out for awhile now?" she nods slightly, "Well, we – I mean Sam and Cass too – went on a vacation last month. While there, it was our one-year anniversary and I put together a dinner for us. That night, she… well… we… slept together…" she gasped and giggled a little.

"Shinji! Are you serious? You two had…" I cut her off.

"Yeah, but there's a problem…" she shifted in her seat a little, "I… got her pregnant. Well, actually, it's not for sure yet. She is just late on her cycle, but chances are that she is. I just needed to talk to someone, please don't tell her." She was wide-eyed.

"Asuka… is pregnant? But… I thought that… she didn't wan to sleep with anyone!" well, that WAS true.

"Yeah, well, she broke that promise. I don't know what to do Hikari! Please, help me. I just need some guidance," I don't know what made me think she could guide me.

"Well, you need to know that you're not the only one in this. She is the one that is going through all of the stress. You were the one that got her this way, and you need to take responsibility. So you tell me, what ARE you going to do?" hell if I know!

"I… don't know. I do realize that she is the main person in this, but I just don't know what to do. I don't know!" I'm almost crying at this point. She put a hand on my cheek.

"Relax… just calm down," she slowly rubbed my cheek, "you will accomplish nothing by freaking out. If she is pregnant, I highly doubt that she would get an abortion, and I doubt you would agree to it either. She loves you, and that is enough to make this worth-while," she was the right one to talk to.

"But… what if she…" she cut me off.

"It doesn't matter. Stop worrying. Because you came out to me like this, I'm going to tell you something that should calm you," how could she tell me how to act? "I know how she is feeling. I know that she is scared out of her mind right now."

"But how do you know? How do you know how she is feeling?"

"Heh… because, I am a mother. I have been for about three years now," Hikari was a mother! "my child lives with a foster family three miles away from me. I see her every month."

"Hikari…" what happened to this sweet little girl I knew?

"Look, I'm not saying that you should give the baby away if there is one. In fact, I really don't recommend it. The only reason I did was because I was going to be a single mother. The boy that got me pregnant ran off. God only knows where he is now. Look, the point is that you need to calm down. There is nothing you can do at this point. Please tell Asuka what I told you," but that meant telling her I told someone, "and I promise that I won't tell a soul." She places a soft kiss on my cheek and walks off.

"Hikari. Thank you…" I waved down a cab and went home.

---

NERV – Asuka's Room

I walk in to see her still crying. Her head is buried in the pillow, and she is lying on her stomach on the bed. I walk over and sit down next to her.

"Asuka… look at me," she brought her head up and looked into my eyes. Her face was beat-red and her eyes were puffy.

"Shin… ji…" her chin was quivering. She lunged at me and hugged me hard. I put a hand on her back and try to calm her.

"Asuka, it'll be okay. I know it will," this wasn't the time to tell her, just to comfort her.

"How? How do you know? Shinji, do you realize what we are in?" more then she did.

"Just lay down. Try to get some sleep, you need it. I'll stay with you," I give her a sweet smile, and she does as I say. I get her to sleep and leave to go to my room. "Thanks Hikari," she did calm me. She reassured me. I think I can make it through this.

A/N- Bet you didn't see that coming did you? Do you think Asuka is pregnant? How will she handle it if she is? What will Gendo do? Find out in the next chapter; Test, until then, keep on keepin' on!