Author's Notes: I only recently discovered Neon Genesis Evangelion and have seen the entire original anime as well as the first two movies; Rebuild and You can (not) advance. I may come back to continue this. Then again I may not, that's the wonderful thing about this site; you can write whatever you want. For now I shall leave this as a one shot.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Shinji, it's time to wake up."

Slowly opening his eyes he saw Rei sitting on the edge of the bed looking at him with that gentle smile that was only for him. "Five more minutes," he mumbled.

Leaning down she placed a feather soft kiss on his lips. "Please get up now or we will be late Shinji."

XXXXXXXXXX

As they had since grade school they entered the class together. Their fellow students spared them a casual glance before returning to their conversations.

"How is the happy couple today?" Kensuke asked with a big grin on his face. "Getting to live all alone with a girl, I'm so jealous!"

Sitting next to his best friend Tonji let out a big laugh. "Seriously, you're so lucky! You've got a girl to make a tasty bento for you every day. I wish I did." Though he did not notice the class rep sent a shy look his way when she heard that.

Rei calmly turned to look at the two boys. "I have told you before Shinji is the one who does all the cooking."

"And what do you do for him? Hmmm?" Kensuke asked with an over eager leer.

"Knock it off," Shinji told them. They might be his two best friends but he didn't appreciate the way they hinted at things.

Since he and Rei had been given their own apartment there had been all sorts of rumors of exactly what sort of, 'relationship' the two of them had. No one could miss the fact that the only person Rei was ever friendly with was him. People also noted that no matter what he did she was always close by. They even assumed the whole reason Rei had learned to play the violin was just so she could perform in the same club with him when he played the cello. They were in every class together and except during PE it was very rare to see the two of them apart.

When the teacher entered class rep Hikari jumped to her feet. "Stand," she called out. "Bow. Sit." The morning ritual complete they all settled down to another day of class.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Do their jokes ever bother you?" Shinji asked her quietly as they ate the bentos he'd made last night.

"No," she replied calmly like always.

They were sitting on a bench out in the school courtyard. He saw a group of girls look in their direction and begin to laugh quietly as they put their heads together. She noticed the unhappy look on his face.

"Do they bother you Shinji?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "I wish people would just leave us alone and mind their own business."

"Our relationship is unusual," she stated. "It is human nature to comment on things that are perceived to be unusual."

His face turned red when she said that. Once she would have failed to even notice it, even now understanding everything about human emotions was still hard sometimes.

"Does my saying that embarrass you?"

"No," he said quickly and shoveled some food into his mouth. "It's just some things are private and should be left alone." He gave her a sideways glance. "Does it really not bother you? Not even a little?"

"I don't care what other people think or say." She said and took a small bite of food. "The only ones who matter to me are you and Commander Ikari."

Shinji made a sour face.

"You don't like it when I mention him do you?"

"It's fine," he said. "Come on lunch is almost over."

XXXXXXXXXX

After their last class they went to the music room to practice with the other members of the music club.

Once that was done they left the school grounds and headed off to 'work.'

XXXXXXXXXX

Ritsuko was nodding as she looked over the readouts. "Rei's synch rate is 68.2, while Shinji's is 72.6, we should do some field testing with Units 00 and 01."

"That would be fun," Misato said. "It's too bad we can't have them do it right here in Tokyo 3 though."

"Too hard to maintain secrecy with more than a million witnesses nearby. It would also be dangerous if anything were to go wrong," Ritsuko said without ever taking her eyes off the data.

"I suppose," Misato said with a heavy sigh.

Now Ritsuko turned away to look at her old friend. "Something wrong? I'd expect you to be a bit more excited at the prospect of taking the EVAs out for field tests."

"Do you ever wonder if all this is for nothing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean all of this," she waved about at all the personnel and equipment of NERV headquarters. "All the billions we've spent developing the EVAs and building the geofront and Tokyo 3. What if they never come back again? What if the second impact was nothing but a unique one time disaster?"

You wouldn't need to ask that if you knew what was hidden beneath us. "In that case we've wasted billions and billions of dollars that could have been better spent aiding people still suffering from the results of the Second Impact." She said without hesitation. "But think of this as the ultimate insurance policy. If the angels ever do return NERV and the EVAs will be the only thing standing between us and Third Impact. Even if the chances are one in a thousand isn't it worth it?"

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose so. I'd just hate to never actually put the EVAs to use."

Ritsuko raised a dark eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Not that there's any real hope of that.

Misato shrugged. "I'd rather deal with a problem than just leave it there."

"You needn't concern yourself about that officer Katsuragi," Gendo's voice told her. "I have no doubt that none of this will be wasted. The units and their pilots will fulfill their destinies."

Misato gave the commander a considering look. She didn't really like him, so far as she knew no one did. But she and everyone here did respect his intelligence and his driving will. He had almost single handedly convinced the UN of the need to create and fund NERV. If the angels did come back it would be due to him that humanity would at least have a fighting chance. Yes, she respected his intelligence and his commitment; his sense of morality was another matter.

"What sort of destinies do those two have?" She asked.

He crossed his hands in front of his face. "They will lead humanity to its ultimate fate."

What the hell does that mean? Misato wondered. "Commander may I ask you a question concerning the EVA pilots?"

"Go ahead," he told her in his bored, lifeless tone.

"Don't you think it would be better if the two of them lived with a guardian? Aren't they a little young to be on their own?" She asked him. "If necessary I would even be willing to volunteer to look out for them."

"That is not necessary officer Katsuragi. Rei asked that they be allowed to live alone together."

Misato frowned when she realized that was the entire explanation. "You mean you agreed to it simply because Rei asked?"

"That's right," he said and refused to expand on his answer.

Realizing as much she let the matter drop.

Staring at the view screen Commander Ikari looked exclusively at Rei's image, completely ignoring his son's.

When he had brought Shinji with him it had been almost as an afterthought. He'd hired a caregiver to look after him and rarely saw the boy. His work was everything, and truthfully he didn't know how to deal with him given the responsibility he felt for what happened to Yui. He tried to think about Shinji as little as possible.

So he'd been quite shocked when he learned Rei had developed a fondness for him. He'd been eager to draw out human emotions from her in order to make her easier to manage. Shinji, for some reason, had made a strong connection with her.

So he used his son to tie a leash to her.

He made sure they were in every class together in every grade. He had them spend time together at the facility. He eventually had her live in the same apartment with Shinji and his caregiver. (By that time Gendo had more or less moved into his office, returning to the apartment only to sleep.) About a year ago Rei had come to him and asked to live alone with Shinji. It was the first time she had ever asked him for anything. He had agreed and arranged a new apartment for the two of them. Though still rather withdrawn her time with Shinji had made her at least a little more social and brought some emotion to the surface. He was happy to see that as it made her easier to manipulate and control.

XXXXXXXXXX

Though their apartment was on the sixth floor of a high rise building they always kept the blinds closed. They treasured their privacy.

Shinji had made dinner and prepared their bentos for tomorrow. As she always did she had cleaned up after their meal. That was their rule, Shinji cooked and she cleaned. After eating they did their homework together and then sat on the couch and watched a little TV.

And then they made love.

Lying naked together on their bed they fell into a slow, unhurried rhythm. He kissed her and squeezed her small breasts as he thrust in and out of her.

"Shinji," she panted happily. "I love you."

"I love you too Rei."

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his body pressing down on hers. She treasured the pulsing that was building in her towards a climax. This is what love feels like, she thought. This was their way of sharing the love they felt for each other.

She had felt alone and cut off from everyone for a long time. She knew what she was and knew how different she was from everyone else. She never felt any connection to anyone. Not even to Commander Ikari, she knew he was only using her. She existed only to be used, that was what she'd believed. She was nothing but a tool that would one day free all human souls from the bonds of the flesh. She had no meaning or importance in and of herself.

Then she'd met a young boy who had told her that he liked her.

The first time she'd heard those words something had stirred inside her heart. It was the first time she had felt. And as she spent more and more time with him she slowly realized that those feelings mattered to her.

She could feel him nearing his limit and groaning. She opened her eyes to look into his sweaty eager face.

"I love you!" He cried as he pulled out and let go.

"I love you," she said more quietly but just as sincerely. I love you Shinji, and when the time comes I will save you. For you alone are everything to me.

XXXXXXXXXX

Out past the moon human satellites spotted an object as it began its approach towards the earth. It was soon designated the third Angel Sachiel.

The time had at last come for humanity's final trial to begin.