I nodded and slowly walked out of the office, as Rei followed me at a distance of five paces.  It looked less scandalous that way, or at least that's what Rei had thought when she was younger.  It was strange, what kind of young woman she had become.  Of course, she hadn't exactly had a normal childhood.<br/><br/>My apartment was sparse and immaculate, much like my office.  It was well appointed, with state of the art appliances and fancy tables and furniture, bearing many of the same SEELE inscriptions that the ceiling of my office did.  On my coffee table sat a half finished game of shogi, that I hadn't yet put away.<strong>"What would you like to eat?"</strong>I asked Rei, knowing on a certain level that the question was lost on her.<strong>"I'd like Salmon and rice."</strong>I told her, saving her the trouble of telling me she was happy with whatever I liked.<br/><br/>My eyes were drawn to my copy of<em>Also sprach Zarathustra</em>, wondering why she'd selected that book, of all of the books on my bookshelf.  It would be little use asking her, of course.  Not until she'd finished it.  I took a deep breath, away from prying eyes, and wrapped my arm around Rei, squeezing her lightly in a hug.<br/><br/>She was the only person I could trust to actually mean such a gesture towards.