Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Coming

The dinner party

"Mental contamination levels nominal."
"Sync ratio within acceptable perimeters."
"Power fluctuations within safe limits." Gendo Ikari listened as the technical staff worked through their checklist. He stared through the window of the test cage into the mono-optic head of the giant blue Eva. "We are ready sir."
"Rei." Gendo said through the intercom. "Are you ready."
"Yes sir." She said.
"Good." Gendo said and released the microphone talk button. "Begin." Unit 00 began to reactivate. The door to the control room opened and Misato and Shinji entered the room.
"How is she." Shinji asked
"She is doing fine so far, Unit 00 should be prepared on time." Maya said
"Good." Shinji said
"As soon as it's reactivated put it on standby and put unit 03 in there." Gendo said. "We need to be ready when the fourth child arrives." Maya nodded.
"I assume you have a report." Gendo said but didn't turn around, his eyes fixated on Unit 00.
"Unit 05 has been approved for transport along with the sixth child." Misato said. "And your suspicions of Unit 04 were correct."
"What suspicions." Shinji asked
"Unit 04 didn't explode." Gendo said. "Seele covered it up, moved the unit to a secret base in mt Fuji."
"Oh, what about the pilot." Shinji asked
"never had one." Misato responded
"Which leaves us with the task of finding one." Gendo said
"Assuming we can get it." Misato said. "We can't exactly get a transfer for a unit that technically doesn't exist."
"Correct." Gendo said, still watching unit 00. "We are going to take it."
"What." Misato said
"How." Shinji asked
"With the other evas." Gendo said. "Why else do you think we rushed to rebuild unit 00 and reactivate it."
"But we don't have a pilot." Shinji said
"Correct." Gendo said. "Two Evas will carry unit 04 while a third covers them."
"But we don't have three Evas." Shinji said. Then a terrifying thought crossed his mind. "Your not putting Asuka on this mission." Gendo didn't say anything. "I won't let you put her in that kind of danger."
"I have no intention of risking the second child." Gendo said. "You rei and Toji will carry out the operation."

Rei didn't understand why this was so hard.  She spoke to the commander all the time.  She took a deep breath and entered the office. 
"Rei?" Gendo said as she entered and walked up to his desk.  He had several data displays on Eva unit 04 on his computer. 
"Commander." She said. 
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
"Sir, do you remember when I asked if you would share a meal with myself and Shinji and everyone else?" She asked, trying not to stutter.
"Yes." He said
"Would you still be willing to do that?" She asked.  He laced his hands in front of him and thought for a moment.
"When did you have in mind." He asked
"Um." Rei faltered for a second.  "The weekend." She said.  "Friday, after the final sync test of unit 00."
"That sounds wonderful rei." Gendo said.  "Where would you like to have it."
"I have enough room at my place." She said
"Are you certain." Gendo asked. 
"Yes." Rei said
"Good." Gendo said standing up.  "You can breath now."
Rei let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Nervous." Gendo said
"A little." Rei said. 
"That's good, you're expressing more emotions." Gendo said as he walked around his desk.  She nodded and looked away.
"Rei look at me." Gendo said.  She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.  "What's wrong?"
"I'm not ready to go." She said quietly.  Gendo walked to her and hugged her.
"I won't let them hurt you sweetheart." Gendo said stroking her pale blue hair.  "I promise."

Rei had been to shinji's before, but not often and not in a while. She knocked on the door and patiently waited.  The door slid open and Asuka stood on the other side of it.  Rei faltered.  She hadn't seen Asuka since she was injured by armisael.  She knew Asuka didn't really like her.  But she looked different, thinner, tired, like someone who was ready to stop fighting.  Asuka's eyes teared up when she saw Rei.  Rei was surprised when the red head hugged her.  Rei hugged back, still confused.
"Rei." Asuka said, tears running down her face.  "Thank god you're alive."
"Thank you." Rei said still confused.  Asuka let go after a minute or so. 
"Well, come in, come in." Asuka said as she ushered Rei through the door.  "What brings you here anyway."
"Well, I'm here to talk to Shinji and Misato." Rei said.
"Oh, Shinji is out shopping and Misato is picking up her car from the shop, apparently the third angel nearly totaled it.
"Oh ok." Rei said awkwardly. 
"You want something to eat or drink, not that we have much of anything but beer." Asuka said.  Rei shook her head.  She was dressed in her pajamas, and her hair was still down and a mess, she looked like she had just gotten up.
"I didn't wake you did I?" Rei asked
"What, no not at all, I just haven't felt like getting dressed, still don't feel like doing much of anything." Asuka said.
"Oh." Rei said.  "I thought your legs were injured."
"No, nothing serious, they wanted me to use a wheelchair for the first couple days because I was still to weak to walk, but my legs were fine." Asuka said.  They sat there for a minute before Rei broke the silence again.
"I thought you didn't like me." Rei said, going for broke.  Asuka sat there for a second.  Rei could tell she was debating in her head about what to say. 
"Look, I know I haven't been a great team mate or friend." Asuka started.  "I've got a lot of things to work through, and Shinji is helping me work through it.  I'm sorry about how I acted before, but I think maybe we can start over."
Rei sat there with a blank look on her face.  Then she got up and sat next to Asuka, taking her hand. 
"I would like that." Rei said.  "And if i can help you in anyway don't hesitate to ask." Asuka smiled.  They hugged again.  Then the door opened and they heard Shinji and Misato enter, Shinji complaining about Misato' driving.
"Look, the light was still yellow when we got their." Misato said.
"Yeah, but yellow means be prepared to stop, not floor the gas." Shinji said setting groceries down on the counter.  "This isn't the fast and the furious." They entered the living room and saw Rei.
"Oh, hey Rei." Shinji said. 
"Hey Rei, how's it going." Misato asked
"Ok colonel." Rei said.  Shinji sat next to Asuka and put his hand on her knee.  She cuddled up next to him.  Rei noticed they actually seemed happy, and it made her happy."
"So what brings you here?" Shinji asked.
"I came to invite you guys to a dinner party at my apartment on Friday."  Rei said. 
"Sounds good to me." Misato said.
"Yeah I like it." Asuka said.
"Who all's coming." Shinji asked
"Right now, just you guys and commander Ikari.  Is that ok Shinji." Rei said
"Yeah, no problem." He said. 
"Really." She asked, a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I can't explain it, but my dad and I are on better terms these days." Shinji said.
"Great, I'll see you guys then." Rei said.

Rei had spent all the time leading up to preparing for her dinner party. She had cleaned up all the clutter in her apartment, opened the windows and made everything presentable. After she was done, she went shopping and got all the ingredients necessary to make the dishes she planned. When Friday morning rolled around, she was up preparing the meal. She wasn't needed until later that day for the sync test so she had plenty of time to get things ready, she had the table all set up when she left for the test.

"Ok Rei, we are all set in here." Misato said as Rei began her final sync test with Eva unit 00. She closed her eyes and focused on the Eva. She felt so comfortable inside the Eva, almost as if the Eva was built specifically for her hand. Shinji stood with his father as the test began.
"She will do fine." Gendo said noticing the worried look on shinji's face.
"I don't know, every time she tries a sync test the Eva goes berserk." Shinji said.
"I have a feeling that is a thing of the past." Gendo said. Shinji looked at the orange and white Eva and hoped Rei was doing alright.
"I hope so." Shinji said. "So there weren't any more blue armor panels."
"No there were not." Gendo laughed. "Believe me I caught hell from her about it to."
"All readings nominal, she is syncing better with unit 00 better than she ever has before." Ibuki said.
"See what did I tell you." Gendo said.
"You had no idea that would go that well." Shinji said.
"Maybe not, but I had faith in her." For some reason that comment stung more than it should have.

Rei finished setting the table when the doorbell rang.  She made sure she looked presentable and went to the door.  She was a little surprised to see Gendo Ikari standing their, partly because she wasn't sure if he would even show up, much less be the first one there.
"Um, hello commander."  She said.
"Hello Rei." He said, smiling at her.
"Won't you come in?" She said motioning in to her apartment. 
"Thank you." Gendo said and entered the small apartment.  "It smells wonderful in here." He said.
"Make yourself at home, I'm gonna go make sure everything is ok." Rei said and hurried to the kitchen.  Not a minute after she pulled the curry off the stove the doorbell rang again. This time it was Shinji, Asuka, and misato.
"Look, yellow means slow down for god sake." She heard Shinji complaining again.
"Oh lighten up Shinji." Mistake said as Rei opened the door. 
"Heyyy!" Misato said hugging Rei.
"Let the girl breath misato." Asuka said before giving Rei a hug of her own. By the time Shinji walked up to her, she was a little jumpy about hugs.
"Don't worry, I won't hug you." Shinji laughed and shook her hand.
"Uh, come in." Rei motioned inside. Shinji walked up to his father while Asuka and Misato talked to Rei. Gendo pulled Shinji aside
"So?" Gendo said
"Like I said in the text, I caught her before she could do it." Shinji said
"So she knows you know." Gendo said
"Yeah." Shinji said. "What do I do?"
"The worst thing you could do is get over protective, don't treat her any different then you normally would, just make sure you are there for her." Gendo said
"No problem there, unit 03?" Shinji said
"Ready and awaiting our fourth child." Gendo said
"Good, he'll be here in a couple days, bring his sister and our friends with him." Shinji said
"Good, good, we'll get them set up, speaking of which, do you have space for one more in your house?" Gendo asked
"Uh, I think so, why?" Shinji asked
"I don think it is healthy for Rei to stay by herself." Gendo said
"Why not." Shinji asked
"I can't tell you, not yet, but I think Rei should live with you guys." Gendo said
"I don't see why not, I'm sure Misato won't mind, and she and Asuka are getting along." Shinji responded
"Good." Gendo said.
"Ok, dinner is ready." Rei said. Everyone sat down at rei's table and enjoyed their meal. Conversation mostly went around happenings at nerv, and Misato' driving. It started off awkward but wound up being very enjoyable.

After everyone else left, Rei was left with Gendo Ikari, who was preparing to return to nerv.
"I had a good time tonight Rei, we should do it again." Gendo said as he put his jacket on.
"Yeah we should." Rei said.
"Listen, before I go I want to tell you something." Gendo said as he adjusted his glasses.
"What is it." Rei said
"I want you to go live with colonel Katsuragi." Gendo said.
"Really, why." Rei said
"I think you'd be safer their, not to mention a lot happier." Gendo said.
"Well if you think so, just make sure they forward my prescriptions there." Rei said
"About that, I want you to stop taking those to." Gendo said.
"What." Rei asked
"It's just, I like the more emotional and expressive Rei more." Gendo said and walked out the door.