Unit 14's arm twisted back around and started to heal. Ezrael slammed its hands into the ground and then ripped them up. The metal plated ground surged up in a massive wave and slammed into Unit 14, sending it into the air and landing with a powerful crash.

Rei flinched sympathetically as she sensed the pain course throughout the Eva's body.

Unit 14 sprang up and charged the Angel with another roar. The Angel raised its hands up as the Eva leapt into a flying kick. Ezrael grabbed the foot and twisted it around violently; snapping the Eva's leg in several places and rotating it around completely before letting the Eva drop to the ground. Ezrael leaned down and looked the Eva straight in the eyes. Unit 14 brought its arms around and slammed both blades into the Angel's neck deeply. Ezrael roared and reared up, pulling the Eva with him. Ezrael brought its arms around and grabbed the Eva around the waist, squeezing powerfully.

Unit 14 let out a pained howl and started to let go of the Angel.

"The armor is starting to break!" Maya reported urgently.

Misato shook her head. There was nothing any of them could do.

Unit 14 reached down and gripped the Angel's hands at the wrists, trying to pull them away from itself. Ezrael squeezed harder and the Eva's mid-section started to crack. Unit 14's eyes flared again and it raised its arms up.

Both forearm blades shot out and then it slammed them into the Angel's arms, through the shoulders and into the mid-section. Ezrael's arms fell off with an explosion of blood as Unit 14 dropped back to his feet. The Eva pulled one arm out and then retracted the blade before sending it straight through the Angel's face, out the other side. It activated the blade inside the Angel's body then, and pulled it out forcefully.

Unit 14 turned and limped away as the Angel fell down and exploded powerfully. As the blast dissipated and the Eva's leg healed it went down to its knees.

The screen in the plug died and Rei felt the plug start to rotate out. The plug housing opened and Unit 14 reached up, gently pulling the plug out before resting it on the ground. LCL flowed out of the emergency vents, and the plug hatch opened at last. Rei climbed out, looking up at the Eva calmly. Its mouth closed and resealed as it lay its hands down on the ground, palms up. She climbed up into its hands, and Unit 14 stood back up, gently holding the young woman.

Ritsuko looked up in some amazement. "It was protecting her..."

Misato smiled and then started to laugh, relief permeating her.

Unit 14 walked over to its launch pad and descended, still holding Rei. It walked over to its cage and lifted its hands up, letting Rei step off onto the platform before it stepped up and backed into the cage itself. Rei put her hands on the side of the Eva, tears starting to come out of her eyes. The Eva raised its hand up next to her, dwarfing the young women, but held it there as it was caressing her face. Rei smiled slightly through her tears and rested her face against the back of one of its fingers. The Eva nodded slowly and then pulled its hand away gently, the glow in its eyes starting to fade. Rei sank down to the ground, and let her tears flow freely down her face.

Misato ran up to Rei, having dashed out of the command center, and dropped beside the young girl. "Rei?"

Rei looked up at Misato and faintly smiled again. "He's in there..." she said slowly.

Misato nodded. "Yes, I think we all noticed that."

Rei looked down at the ground again, her eyes closed. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she looked up at the Eva with a slightly creased brow. One soul, two bodies... Her crimson eyes widened. "He was separated!" she said quickly.

Misato looked at Rei slightly puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Rei turned around and started to stand up. "Cirus! Get Cirus and bring him to Unit 14, now, please!" she said urgently.

Misato instantly understood and nodded, running back up the ramp and out of the cages.

Just a few minutes later, in the test lab, everyone was waiting as Unit 14 was activated. Cirus had been wheeled down on a gurney and placed in the plug.

Ritsuko looked on tensely as Maya started the power connections. One by one they all went through. She looked up and nodded at Ritsuko.

"It's accepting them," Ritsuko told the others.

Misato nodded as the Eva was activated. For a few tense moments they all waited, watching the synch ratio. Ritsuko finally looked down and away, closing her eyes against it. Nothing had happened.

Misato sighed wearily and leaned down on the console. "I can't believe he's just gone," she said quietly.

Rei stepped forward and walked up to the window, looking out at the Eva with calmly intent eyes. She put her hand up to the glass and looked up at the Eva's eyes. Please...

Just when Misato was about to go over and tell Rei it was enough, the console she was leaning against beeped. She stepped back in mild surprise and looked down at it. Just when everyone was about to ask Ritsuko the same thing she looked up with wide eyes.

"The synch ratio! It's rising!" she reported quickly.

Misato smiled and relaxed again, her body leaning down on the console.

"Ten... twenty... thirty five! It's climbing at unbelievable speed!" Maya reported.

Unit 14's eyes blazed and its head raised up. Inside the plug Cirus suddenly gasped and his eyes shot open.

"The pilot is deactivating the Eva!" Maya reported happily. "He's in there!"

Ritsuko sighed with a smile and rested her hand on Maya�s chair. "Thank G'd..."

Rei turned and ran out of the test lab, heading for the entry ramp. Misato, Shinji, and Asuka followed her soon after.

Rei ran down around the metal-grated catwalk, and down to the Eva's side as the plug spun up and out, the hatch opening. The blue-haired girl rushed to a stop near the plug, and looked up intently as two hands latched onto the sides, Cirus pulling himself out. He hopped down from the plug just in front of Rei and smiled at her. Rei surged forward and grabbed him in a powerful embrace, crying into his shoulder. Cirus wrapped his arms around her in return, relief flooding him with the reality of her hug.

"I was afraid you were gone," Rei said quietly into his shoulder.

"I know, and I'm so sorry, Rei," Cirus replied. "I heard everything you said, I just couldn't do anything." His own tears started to seep from his eyes.

Rei tightened her grip on him gently as she continued to cry into his shoulder. She was so relieved to have him there with her.

Cirus reached up with his hand and started to stroke her hair gently. "I'm so sorry, Rei. I never meant to leave you," he said quietly into her ear.

Rei lifted her head up and smiled at him through her tears. "You're here now," she said calmly, lifting her hand and caressing his cheek.

Cirus reached up with his hand and took hers in it, smiling down at her through his tears. She squeezed his hand gently and Cirus almost collapsed with relief. It was so good to be with her again.

Misato, Shinji, and Asuka abruptly stopped when they saw the two of them.

Rei let go of Cirus and looked down at the ground, her cheeks turning pink. Cirus smiled at her and turned to look at the others. His glasses weren't on, but they had seen his eyes before.

"Are you two okay?" Misato asked with a warm smile.

Cirus smiled back and then looked down at Rei. She smiled up at him and nodded. He looked back at Misato. "I think we are, yes," he admitted with a slight laugh. He met Asuka's gaze and smiled at her. The young women was slightly surprised, but then smiled back. Cirus tipped his head to her and then turned back to Rei. "You brought me back, Rei. I can't thank you enough," he said softly.

Rei slipped her hand into his and squeezed it gently again. Her touch was possibly the best thing Cirus could have experienced, especially right then.

"I think we need a celebratory dinner," Misato said with a wry smile. "And don't worry, I'll order out."

Cirus, Asuka, Shinji, and even Rei smiled at the joke.

"That, Major, sounds like a very nice idea," Cirus replied with a smile.

That evening the four pilots and Misato were in her kitchen, sitting at the table, eating a full Japanese meal, which had been ordered from a restaurant down the street. They were all fairly hungry and started to eat very quickly, but Cirus seemed to be a bottomless pit for once.

When Misato started to stare at Cirus with a slightly amused smile he finished the bite he�d just taken and smiled wryly. "Not eating real food for a week does wonders for the appetite," he explained.

Misato chuckled and nodded. She looked at Rei, who was sitting beside Cirus, and smiled. The young woman seemed much more at ease now; even a faint smile was playing across her lips.

Cirus slowed his eating when he realized he was basically ignoring everyone at the table, including Rei. He swallowed his latest bite with a bit of a sour expression at his stupidity and then forced a smile, looking at Rei. His smile became more genuine as she looked up. She smiled faintly at him and took another small bite of her meal.

Cirus caught himself watching her eat and looked away with a slightly amused, if not weary, sigh. She was adorable when she ate.

"So, Cirus, what was it like being an Eva?" Asuka asked suddenly.

Cirus turned his head around to look at the young woman through his glasses. He shrugged. "I can't really describe it, Asuka."

"Oh you're no fun," Asuka replied indignantly, but her face became cheerful again soon after.

Cirus suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Shinji?" he asked, looking over at the young man.

Shinji looked up with a slightly bewildered look on his face. "Yes?"

"I heard what happened while I was asleep. You did a good job," Cirus answered.

Shinji smiled. "Ah, yeah, thanks!"

Cirus nodded back at the young man with a light smile before looking back down at his plate. Having Rei so close to him was a beautiful sensation, especially after being without it for so long. Suddenly he caught himself. So long? It was barely a week... It felt like a year...

"Are you well?" Rei asked him softly. Her voice was almost inaudible, but it gently drifted into his ears as she looked up at him with calm concern in her eyes.

Cirus looked down into her eyes and smiled gently. Her eyes were so beautiful and, as always, they just politely skimmed over his own, they didn't burrow into them. He mouthed 'yes' to her and smiled again, thanking her with a nod. She smiled faintly and tipped her head in acknowledgment before turning back to her meal.

And so it went for the next few minutes. Some polite conversation, but nothing of importance. When Rei announced she was ready to go, Cirus said he would escort her back to her house and Misato, Shinji, and Asuka all said a quick good night to them before they left.

After a few minutes of walking Cirus looked over at Rei slightly. "Rei, I meant to ask you how you knew to put me back in Unit 14," he said quietly as they walked down the road.

"I remembered you telling me about your Eva and your relationship with it. You said 'two bodies, one soul'. When I remembered how the Eva had reacted to me I realized your soul had become trapped in the Eva somehow," Rei explained with her usual calm, smooth directness, looking down at the ground in front of her feet as she walked.

Cirus nodded with another faint smile. "I can't thank you enough. Not just for bringing me back, but for staying with me," he explained softly.

Rei's cheeks were starting to turn pink and she looked away from him somewhat. "Y-you do not have to thank me... I... I wanted to."

"...All the more reason to thank you," he replied with a soft smile.

"Please stop... you're embarrassing me," she pleaded quietly.

Cirus smiled sympathetically. "As you wish... You know you're incredibly adorable when you�re embarrassed," he finally admitted to her.

Rei's cheeks started to get hot and her eyes widened slightly. It felt like it had been so long since she'd heard something like that come from him. She wasn't sure how to respond exactly, but she felt like saying something. "...T-thank you."

Cirus hid a smile under his hand. She was even more adorable. "You're very welcome, Rei," he replied finally.

After a few more minutes they got to Rei's house and then walked up to the door. Rei turned around, her back to the door, and faced Cirus. They both started to speak at once and smiled at themselves. Cirus motioned at her to go first.

"W-would... you please stay the night?" she asked.

Cirus smiled at her warmly. "I would love to," he answered.

Rei looked down at the ground again as she started to blush before turning around and opening the door. Cirus stepped up and through after her and closed the door. Suddenly Rei turned back around and grabbed onto him. Cirus hadn't realized how much he'd been wanting her to come close, and almost reflexively returned the embrace. It felt so good to hold her again.

When he felt her start to pull away he instantly loosened his grip and let her do so.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I was hoping you would do that," he confessed with a gentle smile. "I missed you so much, Rei."

"I... missed you also," she said, slightly awkward with the word as tears started to come from her eyes. She suddenly grabbed onto him again and pulled herself to him tightly. She didn�t want to let go. Cirus returned the embrace and curled his head down over hers.

A few moments later Cirus was sitting at the kitchen table in Rei's house as she was walking back to it with two steaming cups of green tea. He had offered to get them for her, but she had said she was alright doing it. She placed a cup in front of him and then sat down near him by the corner of the table with her own.

Cirus took the cup in his hands and took a small sip, more of a test than a sip in fact. It was just cool enough to not burn his tongue so he took a larger sip before setting it back down on the table. He looked up at Rei with a gentle smile. "The tea is very nice," he said, keeping his voice soft.

Rei tipped her head slightly. "...I find it a very soothing drink," her calm, quiet voice explained.

"Indeed it is," Cirus agreed, still looking at her with a wistful air about him.

"...Cirus, what do you wish for?" the blue-haired girl asked suddenly, putting her cup down and looking at him with a slightly creased brow of curiosity over her vibrant, crimson gaze.

Cirus' own brow creased curiously and he tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Rei looked off into nothing for a moment. "What do you pray for? What do you want?" she punctuated the second question by returning her eyes to his.

Cirus' expression turned serious and he looked down at the table. He looked back up at her. "...Before I answer that... what do you wish for?"

Rei looked back down at the table. "...I ...I used to wish for nothing... to go back to where I came from. I wanted to be free of an existence that held no meaning..."

Cirus leaned forward slightly. "How could your existence hold no meaning?"

"...I was created for a specific purpose. Aside from that I am nothing. The only things that make me myself are my bonds with others... other than that I... I am..." Rei's voice softly died away for a moment, "...nothing..."

Concern etched through his features. He took his glasses off, leaned a little further down to coax her eyes toward his, bare and open, and turned all his focus upon the young woman. "...Rei you are not nothing. How could you think that?"

Rei looked up into his eyes slowly. "...I have a hollow soul... not a real one..."

"What makes your soul not real?"

"It was created..."

"So was everyone's."

"It was created by a man," Rei elaborated sharply, but quiet tears were starting to come from her eyes.

Cirus' face softened into a deeply sympathetic smile. "Rei, a man can not create a soul. You were given a soul, a complete one," he added firmly.

"How can I have a complete soul when I don't even have it for myself?!" Rei asked quickly, her body curling up slightly. Before Cirus could respond she continued. "He made me what I am for one reason and when that reason is done I will be of no use to him! I will become nothing! I used to want it!" she started to shiver, "...I used to want it... but now it scares me... I don't want to be nothing, but I have no other meaning to my existence then to become so..."

Cold anger flashed in Cirus eyes. "Who convinced you of that?" he asked her softly, his anger was not directed at her in the slightest.

"...No one. It is the purpose of my being."

"Who decided that?"

"No one. Ikari created me for it."

"Why should that make your life meaningless?!" Cirus asked, his anger flashing.

Rei looked up startled. She knew he was not angry with her, but his shout was a surprise.

Cirus immediately reeled himself back in and bowed his head. "...I'm sorry..."

Rei shook her head. "It is alright... but... I was created for this reason, how could that not be my purpose for existence?"

Cirus looked up at her with tears coming out of his eyes. "My G'd, Rei, just because man can create something doesn't mean he can define it!" he said desperately. "Yes, Ikari created you for a specific purpose, I'm well aware of your past, Rei, but what in G'd's name gives him the right to dictate your right to exist?!"

"...He created me..."

"He created a body, G'd gave you a soul. No man will ever be able to create that," Cirus replied calmly. "The moment your heart started beating you were out of his control."

"But what if it has stopped?" Rei asked back suddenly. Tears came out of her eyes more steadily.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the third Rei Ayanami, what makes me unique?!"

"Three bodies, one soul, Rei. You saw it yourself, didn't you? The destroyed bodies? They were all coexisting with you, but were empty shells! Your body isn't what makes you who you are, Rei, your soul does. And that is very much unique to you."

"...But Ikari-"

"Forget Ikari," Cirus said pleadingly. "What do you need, Rei? What do you want?"

"I don't want to be nothing anymore!" Rei almost screamed and broke into tears again.

Cirus got out of his chair and crouched beside her. Rei lunged out of the chair and grabbed onto him, her quivering breath warming up his shoulder. He held her and stroked her hair with his free hand, holding her tightly.

"You're not nothing, Rei..."

"Then what am I?" she asked back quietly, almost inaudible.

"...Y..." his eyes closed, making sure he knew the full meaning of his words, "you're everything to me," he let out finally.

Her grip loosened instantly and she pulled back from him, looking up into his eyes in shock.

Cirus' face flattened and he looked down at the ground. He'd stepped too far this time.

"I-I'm sorry, Rei. I'll go," he blurted out and started to stand up.

Rei's hand shot out and grabbed onto his. Cirus turned back to her with a tense look on his face. "Please don't leave me," she begged quietly.

Cirus slowly got back down near her. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have said that-" he was cut off by Rei shaking her head.

"I... give your existence meaning?" she asked slowly.

Cirus closed his eyes against the tears surging up into them before he nodded slowly. "You deserve to exist, Rei. For your own sake," he said slowly in a voice so soft Rei could barely hear it.

Rei smiled faintly through her tears. "N-no one has ever... said anything like that to me," she replied softly.

Cirus nodded with his own gentle smile. "And that's the biggest wrong that's been done to you."

That night Rei slept in her own bed with Cirus sleeping in the guestroom. In truth it was a relief to the young man, because even though she'd wanted to been in his arms asleep twice, that didn't make him any more deserving of it. Of course he knew that by any definition it actually did, but he didn't feel it to be right for himself.

As he lay in his bed his thoughts wandered over the events he could remember before the incident with his Eva. One memory especially shone through. Her arm was hurt. I never got around to asking her how it happened either, he remembered, his eyes narrowing to slits as he thought of who would do it. Ritsuko was cold at times, but not physically violent. Misato would never do such a thing. Asuka was too much of a 'lady' to do that much damage and Shinji was practically scared to death of her. No, Ikari wouldn't- saying the young man's last name brought a primary suspect right to the top of Cirus mental list. Commander Ikari... Now he would if she was disagreeing with him...

Or would he? It was of course possible, Ikari was more than capable of it, but considering what Rei was worth to him, and considering that she was irreplaceable now, he wouldn�t do it. Perhaps by accident?

Cirus shook the thoughts from his mind and turned over in the bed. He needed sleep and he didn't know anything for certain anyway. He would have to ask Rei, and she would have to be willing to answer him.