Mwahahahaha! With this fic, one more than anyone else has posted (in English, anyway), I now proclaim myself King of English Ergo Proxy fics! I will rule this section with an iron fistful of Vincent/Re-L fluff! Bow down before me, my subjects!

Translation: Jeez, we really need more EP fics. I mean, 4 is all it takes?

She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. There was a…Monster standing in her bathroom. And it was touching her. Tenderly. Almost lovingly.

Why? Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she speak? She was terrified. Her heartbeat told her that. She should have been screaming. So why wasn't she?

'It's just…Shock,' she told herself. Yes, she was in shock. That's why she felt paralyzed. That's why her knees were weakening by the second. It was just shock…

"Daedalus, you have to do this for me!"

"Re-L, it's too dangerous! The world outside the dome is a toxic wasteland! Even if he survived the fall, he's long dead by now!"

"I don't care!" Re-L banged her fist down against the table. "I have to find him!"

"Re-L, why are you getting so emotional about this?"

This observation surprised her, and calmed her down a little. Staring at her fist on the table, she replied "It's just…Anger. That man is my only lead. Don't you understand, Daedalus?!" her voice had become raised again. "That man is the only chance I have of founding out the truth about Proxy!"

"Re-L…"

"Please, Daedalus. I need the aircraft and protection suit. I'm begging you."

"Re-L, we should really return to Romdeau and report what we've seen," Iggy advised.

"No, not yet. We still haven't learned the truth," Re-L replied, watching Vincent through the window of the aircraft she and Iggy occupied.

"But Re-L," Iggy protested. "If we don't go back soon, your grandfather will be angry."

"Let him be. Either way, he'll still be angry at me for leaving in the first place."

"But we're running out of fuel. And that man is dangerous-"

She cut him off. "I can handle myself, Iggy."

Iggy sighed. After a moment, he asked "Why are you so obsessed with that man?"

"I'm not sure," Re-L admitted. She thought for a moment. "I guess," she mused, "it's just…Curiosity."

"Curiosity?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I need to know the truth, and that man is the key. That's all it is."

"Re-L, your heart rate's increasing."

"Mind your own business. Turing mode off."

Ugh, how could she have been so stupid? Of all the myriad methods she could have employed to distract him, why did she have to jump straight to kissing? And right after he confessed that he loved her, no less! Now he was going to get the wrong idea, and things would become even more complicated.

Then again, perhaps she could use this to her advantage. If Vincent believed he had a chance with her, he would be easier to manipulate. Still, why did she have to…

Deciding that such thoughts were pointless, Re-L put an end to them along with the kiss. 'It's just…Stupidity,' she thought. 'That's all.'

He was gone. Iggy, her beloved Entourage that she had programmed to be a perfect companion, was gone. And it was all her fault. If only she hadn't brought him along, or not ordered him to go back to Romdeau, or…

"Hey," came a soft, cautious voice. "Are you doing all right?"

'All right'? How dare he ask if she were 'all right'?! She had just lost her best friend! Her only friend! And now she was alone. Alone and stuck with him.

"Get away from me!" she cried out, pushing him away and retreating into the interior of the Rabbit. She needed to be alone right now. She couldn't deal with this.

"Re-L…" Vincent whispered as he slowly entered the cabin.

"I said 'Get away!', you freak!" she yelled. "This is all your fault! Iggy's gone, and it's all because of you!"

A lie. He hadn't done anything. But still, he was visibly taken aback by her screaming. And probably hurt, too. She had never yelled at him like this before. Then again, she had never cried in front of him before, either. Except for that one night, when all of this started…

At that moment, everything hit her all at once, and she broke down into sobs. Before she knew what was happening, Vincent was hugging her. She tried to break free of his grasp, but her attempts were half-hearted at best.

"Shh…" he whispered to her. "It's all right, Re-L. Everything will be all right…"

Even more laughable than his attempts at calming her was the fact that they were working. Something about the way he held her was…Comforting. Had she really fallen so far? Was she really so weak without Iggy that this pitiful excuse for a man could make her feel better?

No. This was only temporary. Tomorrow she would wake up and be strong again. But this? This meant nothing. It was just grief. Yes, that's all it was. She could stand there and hug him for as long as she felt like and nothing would change.

'It's just…Grief,' she reminded herself over and over as she hugged Vincent tighter.