Ritsuko Akagi gasped as a gentle hand caressed her tear streaked cheek, then she was drawn into a warm embrace. "Cry," Misato Katsuragi said softly as she let Ritsuko's head rest on her shoulder, "you'll feel better." Ritsuko's chest heaved with exertion and pain as bitter tears streaked her face, the raw emotion too great to resist. 'Mother doesn't care,' the blonde young woman thought harshly, 'I'm a tool to her, nothing more.' Gently Misato patted her friend's back and shoulder, murmuring soft comforting words to her as they stood together in a empty office not far from the test center, the room only dimly lit by a overhead lamp. Even as Misato held her she had to concentrate on not noticing how good Ritsuko felt to hold, or how tight the plugsuit was on Ritsuko... 'Think about math tables,' Misato mused, 'or where you stashed Ritsuko's clothes after she changed. Just try not to think about it...' "Thank you," Ritsuko finally sighed, the smaller black haired girl looking up at her greatfuly as she pulled back a little. "After what we overheard, I can't blame you for being upset," Misato answered seriously, her own slightly longer black hair flowing over her shoulders. As usual she wore a red jacket that once belonged to her father, with a simple black dress underneath. Ritsuko nodded, "Not just upset, I'm... furious." Misato nodded as she heard her phone chirp. "Do you want me to...?" she asked Ritsuko. A grim smile, "It's probably Yui or your mother." Ritsuko smiled grimly, "You'd better answer it, we can't hide very long." Misato took out her phone and flipped it open, "Yes?" Yui Ikari felt a burst of relief as Misato answered. 'Not that I expected them to disappear, but...' she mused. Aloud she asked, "Are you all right? Is Ritsuko with you?" "We're fine," Misato answered shortly. She hesitated a moment then had to ask her, "Is Naoko there?" "I'm back in my office and Naoko is off seeing a nurse," Yui sighed. "Could you two please come up here?" Misato relayed the question to Ritsuko. "Sure," Ritsuko sighed, "as long as you don't ask me to forgive my mother." "Right," Yui sighed, "I'll see you soon." "Wonder why your mother needed to see a nurse?" Misato wondered as they went out into the hall and took a wary look around. "Hopefully she lost a tooth," Ritsuko muttered as they hurried to the elevator, Misato fighting back a soft chuckle. She looked up at Misato, "Could you take me to where we stashed my clothes?" "No problem," Misato agreed. A few minutes later and Yui heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she called, the brown haired woman looking up from her paperwork. Both Misato abd Ritsuko entered, both ladies dressed in regular clothes. "We're here," Misato said a bit needlessly. "Dr. Ikari," Ritsuko stepped forward bravely as she told her, "I am resigning as a possible Evangelion pilot." Yui set the uniform down on her desk with a sigh. "Your mother didn't mean what she said, I think," Yui said tiredly, "I'm concerned you're overreacting a bit..." Misato snorted softly in disbelief. "Yui, you really don't bullshit well," she noted bluntly, shaking her head. "Misato," Yui gave her a mildly pained look, "you're not helping." Misato walked a bit closer, meeting her eyes as she asked, "Yui, can you really look me in the eye and tell me Naoko didn't mean it?" For a moment Yui looked up to meet the eyes of a girl she considered a daughter, then had to look away. "No," she conceded, "I can't." "Your loyalty to my mother does you credit," Ritsuko sighed, "but it's not needed. I've always known mother didn't like me." Without really thinking about it Misato went over to Ritsuko's side and slid a arm over her shoulders. "Yui," she said as she held Ritsuko gently, "what do we do know?" Yui Ikari sat back a moment then quietly asked, "Ritsuko, I doubt you want to stay with your mother?" "Oh no," Ritsuko agreed. Yui smiled slightly, "Then I think we'll lend you a room for a bit." She rubbed at her eyes, "Then we'll go over our potential pilot lists..." Ritsuko suddenly clutched Misato's hand as she said, "Not Misato!" With that Yui chuckled humorlessly. "Trust me," she answered wryly, "I have no intention of making that mistake." "Thanks," Misato blushed as she felt Ritsuko's fingers entwined with hers. Quietly she asked, "Mom, can you delay Naoko so we can grab Ritsuko some clothes from home?" "It's not home to me," Ritsuko muttered. "I'll do what I can," Yui promised, "but you should get going soon." Inder her breath she murmured, "Maybe I can distract her with the latest Magi updates..." "Thanks," Misato called as they hurried off. Slipping out of GEHIRN was easy, and Misato soon comandeared a unmarked van, taking the wheel with confidence. "Are you sure you can drive this?" Ritsuko wondered as she put on her seat belt. "No problem," Misato said as she put it in reverse and thumped them hard against the wall the bumper was right up against. "Oh?" Ritsuko hid a smile. Misato blushed so cutely that Ritsuko had to fight back a laugh. "Oops," she admitted as she put the van into gear and got them moving. Feeling oddly like a battered wife Ritsuko hurried into the apartment she shared with her mother. It was almost eerily clean, like a show home not a place where people lived out their lives. With a almost savage pleasure Ritsuko yanked clothes from the drawers of her dresser, enjoying seeing the normally tidy room made messy. Carrying a old backpack full of clothes Ritsuko hurried out into the hall and announced, "I'm ready to go." Misato nodded, "Let's get going, I don't want to see Naoko's reaction." Squealing out of the building's parking lot both girls sounded off with relieved sighs, even more so when they saw Naoko's familiar car park not far from where they had been. Being careful not to draw attention Misato drove them over to Yui's house as she quietly explained the living conditions. "I'm willing to take the couch," Ritsuko offered as Misato slid open the traditional sliding doors of Yui's ancestral home. Misato laughed, "We have a spare futon." She hesitated a moment, "There's plenty of space in my room, if you'd like." A faint blushed colored Ritsuko's cheeks as she gruffly answered, "I'd like that." Misato's room, unlike the lived in neatness of the rest of the house, was a pigsty. "Sorry about this," Misato said as she scooped up empty food containers into a black plastic bag. "God you're a slob," Ritsuko chuckled good naturedly as she helped tidy, "what are you going to do if you ever move out on your own?" "Find a wife to take care of me," Misato shot back teasingly. Ritsuko snickered, "I wish her luck." "I'm not that bad," Misato protested, "and what do you mean, her?" Ritsuko flushed slightly, "Hey, you said wife." "Okay, true," Misato conceded. She smiled slightly, "And to be honest, it'd probably have to be a woman or saint to put up with me." "You certainly aren't the saint type," Ritsuko started to joke, then sniffled suddenly. It had been a long few hours, and she was only keeping it at bay with nervous energy. "Ritsuko," Misato stopped her picking up garbage and looked her in the eye. "It'll be all right," she said softly. Ritsuko sighed softly, "I don't see how." She took a ragged breath, "I finally know how much I mean to my mother... no more than a computer." "Maybe yes, maybe no," Misato said gently, "but you mean a lot more than that to me, Yui and all your friends." Ritsuko managed a smile, "Thanks."
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