He decided to accept the good fortune and keep going. He took an immediate left as he passed through the door and continued down the hall at a pace close to sprinting. The fleeting columns of light coming from between the grating and piping in the hall flashed by him as he ran, almost taking on the effect of a strobe light on his vision. He had this hall and one more before he came to the entrance of the chamber.

When Cirus reached the next door he blew out the locking mechanism and it flew open again. This time he realized it might be a trap and he hesitated for a heartbeat, but he didn�t have time. He ran in and to the right this time, keeping up his speed. While possibly the most strategically unsound thing he could have ever done, he had no idea how much time he had, so he had to risk a trap.

The final hall seemed to last forever to him, but he didn�t slow down. He couldn�t risk that either. By all chances he had already failed, Rei could already have joined with Eve, but until his body flew apart he had to try. He couldn�t let this be done to her.

Finally a much larger doorway appeared ahead and Cirus increased his speed. He ran up to it and took the rifle, blasting the controls for the doorway as before. The door shot open with a rush of air out of the hall, making Cirus� hair and coat ripple. He stepped through and took in the massive Angel only a few hundred meters away.

Some distant shouts rang out and Cirus immediately dove to the metal grating as shots ricocheted off the walls and railing above him.

Ikari looked up at the open entrance and calmly readjusted his glasses. �He can not interfere,� he said calmly.

�Security is already working on removing him, as you can see,� Fuyutsuki replied, his face solemn.

�How did he get passed the doors?� Ikari asked suddenly, looking at Ritsuko coldly.

Ritsuko was thankful Maya had run the bypass program she had, that gave her an excuse. Well done, Maya. She shook her head before answering, �I don�t know, according to my console all the doors are still sealed.�

Rei was still shivering in the cold grip of Eve�s body. It was not trying to force her down into itself, but it was always there, waiting for her to let herself be absorbed. Rei�s head was bowed to her chest, her eyes closed tightly as she fought to keep her mind focused. She would not let this happen, she would not let him do this to her.

The incredibly loud bang of firearms going off snapped Rei�s eyes open and raised her head. She looked up to the right, quickly being able to see where the sparks of ricocheting shots were igniting, and saw the security officers firing up at a small concentrated area.

A figure stood up behind the railing and returned fire in small controlled bursts. Rei�s eyes widened slightly, but this time with relief. �Cirus!� she called out as loudly as she could at the moment.

Cirus heard the shout and his head shot down to the left to look at Eve. She was still there and conscious. He still had time.

Any vestiges of hesitation thoroughly destroyed, Cirus leapt up a short flight of stairs as more shots followed him. He landed on a very large platform that extended out into the center of the chamber near Eve with many large sections of piping and generators on it, making it a veritable maze.

Cirus ran down along the side until he saw a walkway through some generators and ran down its length. Guards were on the same landing and were starting to open fire at him as he appeared in the gaps. Cirus dove behind one wall and threw the rifle to the ground, pulling his handgun. He took aim around the wall and fired off two shots. One took the gun out of a guard�s hand, the other hit a guard in the trigger shoulder cleanly.

Cirus whirled back around and ran down the hall of generators again until he reached the far side and made it to another flight of stairs leading up to the left along the wall. It was much longer and Cirus had to spend most of the trip up on all fours trying to dodge enemy fire. He finally made it to the top and saw the lift Ikari had used to put Rei in Eve. He dived into it, dodging more fire, and activated it blindly. The lift started to move down toward Eve slowly but steadily.

Rei saw the lift start to come down and strained against Eve, trying to free her arms at least. She gritted her teeth as a groan emanated from her throat, but Eve�s grip tightened around her body and arms, squeezing the air out of her. Rei gasped and relaxed, causing the tendrils to ease their grip also. She looked up and saw the guards firing at the lift quite steadily, all of them aiming at the wire. If it snapped no human could survive the drop at Cirus� present location.

Rei balled her hands into fists within Eve. Let me go! Her head lolled down, Please. But Eve did not ease her cold grip.

Fuyutsuki shook his head. This is not the way to move humanity to the next level. We are behaving like beasts. He reached down to the console and calmly hit the comm activation key. �All security forces, stand down and cease fire. I repeat, stand down and cease fire,� he ordered calmly.

Ikari�s head shot around to look at Fuyutsuki, actual shock appearing on the man�s face. �Fuyutsuki, what are you doing?� he asked as the shots died away.

�I will not allow a girl to be abused like this just to further our own ideals,� Fuyutsuki answered calmly, his head rising up slightly. �You are not even giving her a chance to refuse this.�

Ikari�s brow creased, but he didn�t respond or take any further action. He looked up at Eve and adjusted his glasses again. So I see�

Cirus had noticed the firing stopped and was standing in the lift, looking from the controls to the slowly approaching Angel. His brow creased as he looked down at the controls, there had to be a faster speed setting or something like it. He looked up at the pulley system the lift was using to move down and forward and looked back down at the controls.

With one last glance up at Rei, Cirus pulled his handgun and shot out the controls for the small motor. The lift instantly started to pick up speed, being as there was no friction to slow it down. As it grew closer and closer to Eve and Rei, Cirus raised the handgun up to the two wheels of the pulley and braced himself. The moment he felt close enough, Cirus rammed the handle of the gun into the wheels, jamming them as they sucked the weapon into their works. The sudden stop flung Cirus into the gate and swung it open with him, sending waves up and down the wire holding the lift up as Cirus gripped onto the bottom bar of the gate to hold on. He pulled his feet back up onto the lift and turned over, looking down at Rei who was a few feet below. He could see relief in her eyes despite the shiver running through her body. He reached down with his hand to her as far as he could. �Rei, take my hand,� he called down to her.

Rei strained her arms again, but the grip tightened and she stopped, looking up at him with a shaking head. �I can not,� she replied.

Cirus pulled himself out, putting one foot against the side of the lift and one hand on the gate door while leaning himself down to her further. His hand was just a few inches away from her.

Rei groaned again as she strained powerfully against Eve, but Eve�s grip around her waist and arms tightened once again and she winced before the air was forced out of her lungs. She shook her head as it lolled down. ��I can not get free,� she explained, looking back up at him with tearful eyes.

Cirus� own face slackened and his hand loosely relaxed as he realized what he had to do. With a calm face, he let go with his other hand and dove down toward Rei. Her eyes widened as she saw him fall down to her, spreading one arm out to wrap around her. The tendrils around her arms and waist suddenly uncurled and Rei reached up with her arms as Cirus� arm wrapped around her shoulders. She held onto his arm as they both disappeared into Eve�s body. Cirus�

Cirus� eyes slowly opened to a soft glow all around him. His body was curled up in the fetal position, but he unfurled it and saw Rei, still with her eyes closed and curled up, floating near him in the soft orange glow. He had the vague impression of floating in liquid, but he could breath perfectly well.

A slow, rhythmic, heart beat pulsed away in the background and was quite soothing. Cirus, his mind surprisingly clear, realized it reminded his body of being in the womb, even though he himself had never been in one. We�re inside Eve, he realized with surprisingly calmness.

Rei stirred and her eyes slowly opened, her body uncurling as he had. She saw him and looked around. Where are we?

They were both caught by surprise. Rei had thought the question, yet they had both heard it.

I heard you� Rei added, looking at Cirus.

Cirus nodded, that had been why she�d woken up. He reached out with one hand to her and offered it calmly. Rei reached out and took it in her gentle grip. The moment their hands touched something happened to both of them. A flood of images and memories, racing through their minds with shocking speed.

It took Cirus a moment to realize he was not seeing his memories. First he saw a woman strangling a young girl with short blue hair, then it changed abruptly to the inside of a plug that violently slammed into something, injuring the pilot badly.

Rei saw a dark room with a window at the far wall and scientists behind it. She was seeing through a person�s eyes, she could sense it, and this person was restrained powerfully somehow. They struggled with bonds on their wrists and waist, but were held fast as their vision blurred from some liquid filling what Rei realized to be a large tube they were in with liquid. The person looked to the side and Rei saw something that, while humanoid, was certainly not human. Cirus? I am seeing his memories?

Cirus began to hear a voice that quickly clarified. �Rei, are you alright? Rei?� It was Ikari�s voice as Cirus saw more clearly and looked across at Ikari, who was standing at the entrance to the plug. Rei�

Rei saw a new scene, but in the same room. This time she saw Cirus as if she was standing beside the horizontal table they had him secured to. He was only wearing some kind of scrub pants with various sensors linked to his body as a man circled the table. �The plan is successful, you will be the first test,� the man said.

Rei saw scars all over Cirus� torso. Especially two massive ones that arced all the way from his chest over his shoulders and presumably down his back. Cirus narrowed his black eyes at the man, but remained silent, his appearance being much younger than Rei had ever seen.

Then another flood of various images ran through their minds. Cirus saw battles, Rei saw training. It was like they were living through each other�s lives, feeling what the other felt, seeing what the other saw.

Finally another scene solidified in Rei�s mind. Cirus was standing before a man at a desk, a gray visor of some kind running across his eyes. �You are to be sent to NERV. Your mission is to monitor this young woman,� as the man spoke he pushed a display board toward Cirus who picked it up and looked down at a picture of Rei. �Ikari is planning to use her for reasons we are not sure of. You must not allow this.�

Cirus looked up at the man. �Mr. Kreel, you can not seriously be asking me to kill this girl, can you?� he asked skeptically.

�If that is what is necessary.�

Cirus narrowed his eyes, though it wasn�t visible to Kreel, Rei could sense it. �It will not be, sir.�

And then Cirus left, the memory fading away.

He was sent to kill me� Rei realized painfully.

Cirus saw a different memory. The 15th Angel attacking Unit 00, driving itself into the Eva and causing pain to rip through Rei�s body as it tried to communicate with her. Then the image shifted to Rei activating the self-destruct, her only thought being of Shinji. Cirus closed his eyes tightly. She has the memory of dying twice�

Rei saw another image form. Cirus was standing, facing the back wall of Ikari�s office as she, Asuka, and Shinji entered. Cirus� mind was filled with anger at the mission he had been sent on, and his own refusal to do what Kreel had asked. Sensing this put Rei at ease, he never intended to follow the orders, even before he met her. When she saw Cirus turn around her eyes widened as she sensed his thoughts when his eyes came to rest on the memory of her. She could see from his perspective what her eyes looked like. They almost glowed, like they were lights in and of themselves, giving off a warm light that put him at ease almost instantly. Cirus quickly averted his eyes and bowed to Ikari, apologizing for his former behavior. Rei�s cheeks turned a soft pink, He sees my eyes like that?

Cirus saw another image also. Rei was standing facing the door to an elevator, Shinji standing behind and to her right in the back corner. He was trying to make conversation and Cirus could sense Rei�s confusion as to why he was trying, but appreciating the effort because so rarely did people try and speak to her as a normal person. �You remind me of my mother,� Shinji had said with a slight smile. Cirus sensed Rei�s sudden surprise and her cheeks turn pink. �A� mother?�

�I think you�ll make a very good mother, Ayanami.�

��Please stop� you�re embarrassing me.�

Cirus� eyes widened softly as a gentle smile came over his face. She wants to be a mother?

And suddenly Cirus and Rei could both see each other again, their hands touching gently in the soft glow around them. Cirus looked at her softly and raised his eyebrows. What do you wish to do?

Go home. Rei answered gently.

A light solidified above them suddenly and Cirus looked up. He smiled as he realized what it meant. He looked back down at Rei and nodded. She pulled herself toward him and he wrapped his arm around her waist before they both swam toward the light.

Ritsuko saw the two fall into the Angel from her station and her eyes widened. Are they both gone?

�So now we wait,� Ikari said calmly as he stood back from the row of computers and looked up at the still calm Angel.

A metal click behind him brought his, Ritsuko�s, and Fuyutsuki�s attention around. Misato was standing there with her gun trained on Commander Ikari, Kaji just behind her. �Are they dead?� she asked firmly.

As if in response, the console behind Ritsuko started letting off a warning. She turned around to look at the screen and quickly tapped away at the keyboard. �There is an unidentifiable reaction occurring within Eve. Judging by these wave patterns I�d say something is coming out of her,� she explained calmly.

Ikari turned his head over his shoulder to look down at the screen. �'Well, that�s good for you.� Indeed, Yui.

He calmly turned and walked around the console before proceeding toward Eve. The other four followed him quickly. They stepped onto a platform beside the Angel that rose up beside it and allowed them to step off onto its torso near the chest. The marked area of Eve�s chest was calm as they came closer, all waiting with varying degrees of expectancy, but Ikari hung back, calmly watching.

Cirus and Rei swam up together to the surface that was giving off the light. When they reached it, Cirus shoved his arm up, reaching forward as he did in the hopes of grabbing onto something out of the water.

The hand shot out of Eve�s chest, covered in a milk-white fluid as it grabbed onto the side of the circle that was solid and started to pull.

Kaji and Fuyutsuki hurried forward and started to help as the arm pulled itself out to the elbow and curled up, pulling Cirus� drenched head out. He groaned and pulled up with his other arm, pulling Rei out of the liquid and raising her into Kaji and Fuyutsuki�s waiting hands. They carefully pulled her from the pool and turned her on her side as she coughed out the white liquid. Cirus pulled himself out over the side and rolled down slightly thanks to the slant of Eve�s chest.

�Rei, Cirus, are you two alright?� Misato asked, stepping forward and lowering her gun with a slight smile of relief.

Cirus looked over to Rei who pulled herself up to her hands and let a slight smile play over her lips. He looked back up and nodded for himself. Kaji and Fuyutsuki assisted Rei as she stood up, in case she was overly tired and stumbled, but she stood steadily anyway. Cirus pulled himself up, noticeably weaker, and stood upright.

Ikari stepped forward and calmly stood before Cirus. �I see you�ve succeeded.�

Cirus narrowed his eyes, his glasses having fallen off while he pulled himself out, and punched Ikari in the face, knocking his glasses off as he steadied himself.

�Cirus!� Misato shouted.

Ikari raised his hand. �Major Katsuragi, the action was understandable and even quite expected. After what I have done to him he would of course retaliate.�

�You�re wrong,� Cirus replied calmly. �You did nothing to me. That was for Rei,� he explained.

Ikari raised one eyebrow and eyed Cirus skeptically. �So you thought nothing of personal revenge?�

Cirus looked over his shoulder, having turned toward Rei. �� I deserve worse,� he replied quietly before looking to Rei. Fuyutsuki and Kaji stepped aside and started to walk back to the platform with Misato and Ritsuko. Ikari was calmly walking back alone.

When Cirus was sure they were all out of ear shot he looked at Rei intently and then smiled with a great deal of gentleness. �You want to be a mother?� he asked her softly.

Rei�s eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. ��How did you know about that?� she asked, her voice softly drifting into his ears.

�I saw it,� he answered.

��And I saw your memories� Do you truly see my eyes in that way?� she asked back.

Cirus� mouth opened slightly, but then he shut it and smiled again with a soft nod of his head.

Rei stepped closer to him and looked up into his eyes intently, gently gazing up at him. �I do not think you deserve worse than what he did to you. I think you are very kind.�

The words coming from her mouth touched him more deeply than really anything else could. His face softened as tears started to run down from his eyes and he reached his hand up slowly to her face, but didn�t touch. Rei reached up with her hand and held his to her face. Cirus caressed the front of her cheek with his thumb gently before she leaned closer to him and he let his arms wrap around her in a warm embrace. ��Thank you,� he said very softly.

Rei smiled again and pulled back from him gently, but still letting his arms stay around her. She wanted him to hold on forever at that moment as she looked up at him. �You are welcome.�

Cirus laughed warmly at her mimic of his usual response. Rei pulled closer to him again and let her eyes close as she rested her head against his shoulder. His embrace was all she cared about at the moment, and to Cirus just being able to hold her all that he cared about at the moment.

Misato looked at the two of them in the distance as a smile appeared on her face. She felt a hand slip into hers and she quickly turned to see who it was. She relaxed and smiled more when she saw Kaji standing beside her, watching them also with a smile of his own.

�Were we ever like that, Kaji?� she asked softly.

�If not, we can be,� he answered with a light smile as they both turned away and the lift started to lower again.

Misato leaned her down against his shoulder and smiled wistfully as she closed her eyes. �That would be nice.�

�Already putting the moves on him again, eh, Misato?� Ritsuko asked wryly with a smile.

Misato frowned and pulled up from Kaji�s shoulder, but then all three of them laughed.