My first story for this genre. I've been working on this for a while, but not nearly as long as it takes me to do most of my Lord of the Rings stuff. If you like this, look for more Matrix stuff by me in the near future. =)

As is not hard to figure out, this takes place during the infamous Trinity death scene in Reloaded. I know, I know, it's been done many times before. But not by me. The inspiration for this was brought on by one of my more depressed moments, so go figure.

This was actually never meant to be posted; I have a few…issues with the swearing, to say the least. In my pretty long life, I have never said a swear word. Not once. And I am so religious to this belief that I most likely won't for a very long time. Because of this some of the words were left out. But thanks to my lovely beta, these have been added. Also thanks should go out to Trinity-the-Goalie for pointing out a few things that needed to be added and fixed.

I worked hard to keep everyone in character, but if you see any abnormalities or mistakes of any kind, please point the out to me and I will change it and repost the story. =)

Disclaimer: Nope, nothing belongs to me. I can only be so lucky…

~*~

Neo flew faster that he had before. The Architect's words still rang in his ears, a constant reminder of the mortality of those he loved, the one he loved. The dream that had been plaguing his sleep for weeks on end played over and over in his mind. He saw her falling, could see her blood seeping through the gaping wound, could see her hit the car with enough deadly impact to destroy the vehicle completely. He couldn't let that happen; not now, not ever.

Steeling his mind against the negative words he had heard minutes before, he pushed harder, knowing that he wouldn't stop until she was safe.

~*~

Link and Morpheus watched in silence as the building exploded, neither wanting to accept the fact that everything they had been fighting for had ended in flames. Suddenly something caught the captain's attention.

"What was that?" he asked, motioning to the screen.

"Whatever it is," Link replied, typing madly at the keyboard, "it's moving faster than anything I've ever seen,"

Morpheus looked over the monitors at the bodies laying in the tattered chairs across the way. Although almost indecipherable, he saw as Neo's hand tightened on the armrest. Come on, he thought, You can do this,

~*~

Trinity kept firing as she plummeted to her unavoidable death. She was afraid, very afraid, but she did not regret her decision and it did nothing to deter her iron-clad determination to bring someone else down with her.

Bullets flew past her, hitting the ground far below with an almost silent ping. Trying to ignore the sounds, she emptied round after round into the air in the general direction of the agent falling above her. In the split-second of a pause, she was stabbed with pain and realized in dazed horror that she had been hit. Too overcome by dumb shock to keep hold on them, her weapons fell from her hands. Her vision clouded, blocking the still firing agent and her own blood from view as the world seemed to spin wildly around her.

~*~

Link's eyes were glued to the screen as he watched what was unfolding with disbelieving eyes. This couldn't be happening...it was just a horrible dream. But he knew without having to pinch himself that it was all too real. The sounds of Trinity's life monitor beeped furiously as her heart rate sped at a dangerously, irregular and fluttering with the intense pain Link knew she must be feeling.

Morpheus had left his place watching the monitor and was now standing beside his second-in-command. He glanced up at the life-line before gazing back down to the woman it belonged to. He smoothed sweat-matted hair from her face and spoke soft words of encouragement on deaf ears as the sickening reality sunk in. She was dying. The young lady he had all but raised, the one who had become so much like a daughter to him in their time together, was dying and there he was nothing he could do to stop it.

~*~

Even from this distance, Neo could see the figures descending at break-neck speed. Keeping his aim on Trinity, he accelerated. In the blink of an eye, he caught her, leaving the agent behind to crash into the car below.

She whimpered in suppressed pain and slid an arm around his neck to let her fingers clench the collar of his coat, her other hand searching in a futile attempt to stop the blood. Shock was quickly setting in and her body felt cold to the touch.

"Hold on, Trin," Neo whispered desperately in her ear, "Hold on,"

Trinity swallowed hard against the urge to scream. Instead, she curled into his arms, seeming to absorb his very presence as a sedative.

~*~

Link still sat at the monitors, not wanting to leave in case something happened. His own heart seemed to constrict in his chest as he watched Trinity continue to fall. Just as he was about to give up all hope of ever seeing her alive again, a miracle came to pass.

" Holy shit, he caught her," he breathed, leaning back in his chair as he was buffeted by shock and semi-relief.

~*~

Adrenaline still coursing through his body, Neo landed gracefully on the roof of a nearby building and laid Trinity on the cement parapet. He took off his sunglasses and placed them beside her only to watch inextricably as she writhed in agony, shaking and gasping as her lungs refused to take in air. He gazed from her scratched face down her chest to rest on the hole just below her heart as dread began seeping into him once more.

"Neo," Trinity's ragged voice brought his eyes to her own. "I had to,"

"I know," He grasped at her hand as her finger crawled slowly up his chest, holding it tightly, and met her pained blue eyes once more. "The bullet is still inside,"

Catching the meaning of his words, she gave a slight nod, even the minimal movement causing blinding white blotches to dance across her vision. Neo closed his eyes, opening them to see the code encircling her projected body. After taking a moment to compose himself, he dipped his own coded hand into her now hallow chest. Even though he couldn't see her, he could hear her gasp, coughing up blood that had seeped into her lungs and could feel her cringing under his touch.

~*~

Morpheus was still at her side, watching with a helpless feeling weighing down his limbs as she jerked in the bonds of the chair. He had tuned out the beeping of her rapid heart rate, too aware of his lieutenant's approaching doom to pay it any mind. She coughed slightly and blood spilled from her mouth. He wiped it away with the edge of his shirt.

Glancing at her face, Morpheus picked up her arm and injected fluids into the plug there. "Trinity, don't you quit on me now,"

~*~

Neo jerked his hand from her chest. The bullet, covered in a thin layer of body fluid near the bottom, lay benignly in the palm of his hand. Staring at the cause of his lover's pain for less than a second, he tossed it away from them disgustedly.

Trinity gasped for breath that was quickly becoming shallow. She opened her eyes, sheer agony burning in their depths. Her fingers closed tightly around Neo's, the pain too much for her to handle.

"I'm sorry..." she rasped brokenly. She snapped her eyes shut again and turned her head away from him. Darkness swam up around her, enveloping her frailed body in it's cold embrace, ready to drag her life from this world.

Fear of what was happening shot through her and she wished she could sob in terror at how alone and scared she felt, like a child lost outside in a storm far from home. As the tug of death numbed her senses, she suddenly could not feel the anchorage of where Neo's hand held hers close to his heart nor could she see his handsome face in her mind; all she could understand was that the pain lessened the more she let go. And she did not want to be in pain any longer.

Neo watched in bloodcurdling silence as her muscles lost their tension, the dried blood on her face cracking slightly as the skin beneath it relaxed. Her hand loosed it's hold on his as a last breath escaped her lips and none was drawn back in.

"Trinity...?"

She was dead.

~*~

Looking up sharply as the beeping suddenly stopped, Morpheus frowned at the flat life-line. He blinked back tears as Trinity's body fell in the chair, the tension and pain gone from her stiff form. Not knowing what to do with himself now, he merely dropped his head in a silent prayer for her lost soul.

Link's mouth dropped open, repulsion setting in as he stared at the screen. This was wrong. This shouldn't be happening! She shouldn't have died, not like this! He risked a glance to his captain and the scene alone nearly broke his heart.

The other man was still at Trinity's side, unwilling to move. He had taken her small hand in his own larger one, trying to feel out a pulse in her wrist that he knew he wouldn't find. His eyes were glued on the pale fingers as he rubbed small circles against her chilling skin.

Link wanted to offer words of console, to say that she had died in Neo's arms, with the one man she loved, in no pain as she neared the end. But the words would not form in his mouth. He forced his gaze back to the screen, ready to get out the sole survivor.

~*~

"Trinity," Neo gathered himself, not yet ready to lose her. "I know you can hear me; I'm not letting go,"

Putting his hand behind her head, he lifted her slightly from the parapet. "I can't," he whispered as he stared at her closed eyes. "I love you too damn much,"

Concentrating once more, he saw the green code that made up her body. He closed his eyes and dropped his hand into her chest one last time. After a moment of timid searching, he found her coded heart. With a deep breath, he squeezed it once.

Life returned to her wounded body, her soul falling back as though pulled along by someone else. She gasped, filling her starved lungs with fresh, cool air. Her eyes snapped open, quickly locking with Neo's.

~*~

Two heads jerked up as the life-line suddenly beat back into rhythm. Morpheus looked from the screen above the chair to the woman in it, alive again by nothing short of a miracle. Tears stung his eyes and he grabbed at her hand again, dazed at this turn of events.

Link stood from his chair and stared at the three figures across the way, making sure he hadn't imagined anything. He fell back into the chair and shook his head, eyes wide. "I can't take this..."

~*~

Trinity stared at Neo in amazement. She had died, she knew she had. Yet here she was, alive again. He had saved her, brought her back to him. She didn't know how he had done it, but somehow he had, and she was glad.

Steeling herself against the dull pain that still coursed through her limbs, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Neo helped her, holding her body against his to keep her steady as they pressed their lips together in a desperate kiss.

They broke apart for a moment, long enough for Trinity meet his eyes and whisper, "I guess this makes us even,"

Neo reveled in the sound of her voice in his ears, watching as her gaze dropped to his lips before closing. Letting his fingers bury themselves in her hair, he pulled her back again, needing to feel her against him, a sweet reminder that she was alive and well.

The reality of their situation came crashing back down on him as he tasted the coppery blood in her mouth as her lips parted against his, proving to him that he really had almost lost her. This only made him want her more and his other hand splayed out on her lower back, pulling her closer to show his desire. Trinity responded in kind and leaned heavily against him, forgetting about the pain, about her momentary death, about everything except the fiery sensation shooting through her body everywhere he touched her.

This was what she had come back for, who she had come back for. She loved him, and he loved her. Love...the one thing no evil could ever destroy, and the one thing it underestimated every time.