Author's Note: Hey my lovely Readers! So here's the next chapter, the previous chapters have been just going through the motions of Switch joining the team and leaving the Matrix. Now is when the story really begins! Please tell me what you think of this story; I would love to get some reviews!
Also I would recommend the song 'To the moon and back' by Savage Garden when reading this chapter, its really sets the mood. Lot of love! :) xx
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Switch was pacing back and forth in her room. She had just finished her second day of training and now knew all the basics, as Morpheus had put it. But she still felt a little out of her depth. There was a difference between being told something and understanding it. Right now she was supposed to be resting but she just wasn't tired. She felt useless. She didn't have shifts or jobs like the others, she was just a liability and a burden on their team. All she had done since she got here was cause problems for the rest of the crew. She needed to do something to prove she had been worth getting out. She knew they were just being kind, giving her time to settle in but that wasn't how Switch worked. She wouldn't feel she belonged until she earned her place. She had never had this kind of friendship offered without attachments; this was new to her. Apoc especially so. Switch had never had anyone pay her any attention before, so why should it be any different here? She had a nagging thought at the back of her mind that he was only interested in her because there was no one else. Because she was all he could get. She was the only female here besides Trinity and no one was getting anywhere with her. She didn't seem like the kind of person to allow anything like that. Maybe he was just messing with her. She tried not to think about it, Apoc wasn't like that, was he? Or maybe he was just friendly with everyone and she was no different. She was probably looking into this far more than she should be.
Ugh. She needed to get out of this room, she was slowly going insane. Apoc was consuming her thoughts, making her throw any rational thinking out the window.
Wandering over to her bed she pulled the frayed blanket off it and wrapped it around herself. She decided to go out and see who was on shift now. She couldn't be bothered changing back into her clothes but the blanket gave her more modestly than going out in only her pajamas. She crept to the door and opened it as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake up the others. Stepping out into the hall she made her way along the corridor back towards the main bridge. Looking around the corner she looked for who was on duty, her face lit up when she saw it Apoc. Her heart beat slightly faster, should she go talk to him? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
Apoc spun round in his chair; he had obviously heard her leaving her room. She might as well go out there now, he knew someone was there. If she didn't he would probably ask about it tomorrow. She moved out from the shadow of the corridor and onto the main bridge, walking towards Apoc.
When he saw Switch walking towards him he broke out into a grin, he couldn't believe she was actually coming to talk to him.
"Hey." Apoc whispered as Switch reached him.
Switch came to stand just beside the old chair Apoc was sat at in front of the monitors.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, giving her a curious look.
"Couldn't sleep." she mumbled sitting on the arm of his chair and peering over his shoulder over to watch the coding.
Switch didn't know what had possessed her to do that but she put it down to her legs hurting. Everything still hurt from when she had been ejected from the Matrix. Her body was thinner now and her muscles were much weaker than they had been because she had never actually used them before.
"I think we all get nights like that sometimes." he assured her, hesitatively putting his arm around her.
He wasn't sure if she would like him doing that but she had approached him so he figured he might as will try his luck.
Feeling Apoc's arm weave around her waist she felt a surge of confidence and slid down the armrest so she was tucked up next to him, he didn't seem to mind. She couldn't believe what she was doing; she was sitting, practically in his lap, with her legs tucked up under her and her head resting on his shoulder. This was surreal, this kind of thing didn't happen to people like her. They sat in silence for a while and Switch began to feel a wave of tiredness seeping over her. There was a comfortable silence between, she didn't feel the need to say anything; just being with him was comforting in itself. She was so comfortable with her side pressed up against Apoc and her head resting on his chest. He gently rubbed her back as he sat watch over her and kept an eye on the Matrix coding. She barely even knew Apoc but she felt calmer and safer in him arms that she had ever felt in or out of the Matrix. Her eyes slowly drooped shut, feeling exhausted after the day of training. She could hear his heart beating, its steady rhythm lulling her off to sleep.
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Switch struggled to open her eyes as she felt her body being moved. Her muscles ached with the gently forced movements. She felt her body being placed down onto something soft and cold. Forcing her eyes open she saw she was lying on her bed back in her room. The movement of Apoc quietly leaving her room caught her eye. She didn't want him to go. She had liked having him so close to her, she knew he had to leave but she could at least try and delay the inevitable.
"Apoc." she croaked, hearing her coarse voice she cleared her throat as he turned around to face her. Her voice had come out far more desperate that she had intended it to.
"Yeah?" he asked turning round when he heard her, a surprised look on his face.
She shuffled in her bed and propped herself up on her elbows to look at him. Plucking up enough courage he walked across the room and sat down on the edge of her bed.
Switch slowly sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Apoc looked at her expectantly. She took a deep breath. She had wanted to talk to Apoc all day but hadn't found the nerve to do so. She was curious about everything and wanted to know more about him. But she hadn't had the courage to ask, worried what he would think. She wasn't fully awake making her less guarded than usual, so she just went for it, asking the first question she thought of.
"I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer." she started. "But what was your life like before this?" she asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
He chuckled, smiling softly at her while he thought it over.
"How about if I tell you my story, you tell me yours. Deal?" he asked after thinking about it.
Switch paused for a minute before nodding, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to go through the mess of a life she had lived. But she was too interested in finding out his story to disagree.
"Okay." he started. "Well, I was born in Manhattan. I lived a very normal family life as a child. I had my mama and my old man. I was the second oldest of my five brothers. Life was good." he simplified, briefly explaining the normality of his life.
Switch smiled trying to imagine a little Apoc with his family and their lovely lie of reality. It was sad to think of it that way but she didn't want to get attached to any memories from that world.
"When I was around fifteen I came across the Matrix and this guy called Morpheus. I had always been keen on computers but that's when I really started looking into the Matrix." he continued.
That reminded Switch of herself, computers had been her form of escape as a teenager. She could have done with knowing someone like Apoc then, but she was even more grateful to have him in her life now. She knew it was irrational but it felt like it had to be fate that she had met him now, when she needed him most.
"When I was eighteen my parents were killed in a car crash. It was heart breaking for my brothers and me. Life had been going along just like normal, we were what you would call your 'typical American family' and then suddenly they were gone. Our house got sold and the will was split up between all of us. My brothers and me were going to be sent to live with my grandparents in Los Angeles. But with the money we each got my older brother wanted to stay in Manhattan, because of work. I decide to stay with him and we bought a small apartment in decent part of town. But my younger brothers went to L.A. I never actually got to see them again. I spent the next year trying to crack the Matrix. I sat night after night searching, trying to understand. I had been too consumed with my own desperate search to understand the Matrix that I hadn't noticed the change taking place in my brother. I thought it was the work keeping my brother in the city but it wasn't, it was the drugs. I didn't find out till later that he had been involved in gang dealings since he was fourteen. I didn't have clue. Looking back now all the signs where there I had just been too blind to notice them. It all came crashing down on me one night when gang broke into our apartment. It was a drug dealer after my brother." he paused, taking a deep breath.
"I was in the kitchen at the time. By this time I had started to suspect something was up, god if I had known sooner…." he trailed of, shaking his head softly.
"I watched them shoot him straight through the head, blew his brains out. They didn't know I was there. I made a run for it, jumping out the kitchen window and down the fire escape. I just kept running and running, trying to get as far way as I could. I thought that somehow I could run from what had happened. I didn't have a clue where I was going, and honestly I didn't care." he continued, a sad chuckle escaping his lips.
"Morpheus had sent Cypher and Trinity into the Matrix to get me. They had been planning to talk to me but after what happened they decided to meet me instead. I thought I was being chased. Cypher almost ran me over. But after plenty of convincing I eventually agreed to meet Morpheus and the story's pretty obvious from there." he finished, his eyes had glazed over; he wasn't looking at the grey metal wall anymore but was lost in another place and time.
"I'm so sorry." Switch breathed, reaching out to take his hand.
His eyes looked pained as he recalled his past life. She started to think that maybe bringing this up wasn't the best idea. He had obviously trusted her enough to tell her his story though and that thought slightly made up for the fact that she had unintentionally caused him emotional pain.
He tried to smile at her. "It was for the best really. It led me to the truth and severed any links to that world for good." he replied, trying to convince himself more than her.
"So..." he sighed. "That's my story. What's yours? I hope it was better than mine." he laughed bleakly.
He had no idea.
Her life had been chaotic; she had gone through things that she couldn't even talk about. She couldn't go into detail, not even with Apoc. There were some things that were best left unsaid. Switch didn't know where to start but the beginning was as good a place as any.
"I don't actually know where I was born but I grew up in Brooklyn. I lived with my mother. I never knew who my father was. I don't remember much of my mother; she died when I was around five. I think she was a normal, kind, single mother. All the memories I have of her are nice ones. I've always wondered what my life would have been like if she hadn't passed away. I don't think I would be here if she hadn't. Once she died I was sent away to live with my uncle, the only family I had left. I hated him from the moment I saw him, even as I child I knew there was something wrong. I still remember the first day I met him. He had reeked of whisky, not that I knew what that was at the time. More importantly what I didn't know was that he would abuse me for the next four years of my life." she paused, trying to keep her temper.
"That's what angered me about leaving the Matrix. I went through torture as a child, lived with the trauma for years, and it never even happened." Switch explained. She tried to keep her voice calm; she didn't want to rant at Apoc. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before she continued. There was no way she was going to let herself break down in front of him.
Apoc looked slightly disgusted, looking at her with pity. She didn't like that; she didn't want his pity. But she couldn't blame him. Her story wasn't a pleasant one. She had never had anyone wiling to listen to her story before and it felt like a weight lifting off her shoulders. She didn't have to hide anymore. She was no longer a part of that world. But she knew what she had to tell him now would make him hate her. She had done things she couldn't undo.
"I ran away from that life when I was nine, taking to the streets like a fish to water. I was smart; I knew how to keep myself alive, stealing what I had too, sleeping where I could and staying on the run." Switch quickly continued, trying not to dwell on any part of her past. She had gotten herself into a lot of trouble that year. She had seen and done things no child should ever be exposed to.
"When I was around ten I remember breaking into an old woman's apartment, low even for me, but I hadn't eaten a decent meal in over a week. I was planning on just stealing some food and a bit of jewelry. But she caught me. I tried to make a run for it but she stopped me. I could have fought my way out but I didn't want to hurt her. I wasn't that kind of person. I only hurt people in self-defense not in violence. I thought I was done for, thinking she'd call the police. But instead she made me eat with her. I learnt that she was an elderly Christian lady and that she didn't have any family. And I told her about myself. She pitied me, something I was grateful for at the time. When she found out I didn't have a home she let me stay with her. It was only meant to be a temporary stay. Just a few nights, a shower and some food. That was all I expected. But she had other plans that I was oblivious to. She was rather old, in her sixties and her health wasn't very good. I took care of her and she let me live with her. I didn't realize it at the time but she had loved me. I didn't see it because nobody had ever loved or cared for me before. I had grown up to believe I was unwanted and unlovable." she continued choking slightly on her words. She was flooded with the memories of the best years of her life, years where she had actually been taken care of. She needed to move on, to forget, but she couldn't. That woman had a lasting impact on her. She knew that without being shown that kindness she would have ended up far worse than she did. She was the one person who had restored her faith in humanity. Throughout her life when she was only presented with cruelty and violence the memory of her kindness was a small glimmer of hope.
"She became very ill when I was around twelve. She was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors said it was terminal. She refused to stay in hospital; she wanted to die at home. We couldn't afford the medical bills anyway. It crushed me seeing her fade away from me. She was too kind, too gentle, in a world far too cruel. She died just after I turned fourteen. I was lost once she was gone. She didn't have any family so she left all that she had too me. It wasn't much but I was better off than I had ever been. I spent the next year missing her, she was the only person who I had ever loved, the only person who had ever showed me any compassion and now she was gone. I looked for that kindness again in all the wrong places, finding only selfishness and cruelty." she paused reeling in how stupid she had been. She had hit an all time low at the age of fifteen, left alone in a world she couldn't understand. She was lucky she wasn't dead. She had gotten herself into too many stupidly dangerous situations.
"When I was sixteen I started drawing away from others, losing myself in computers. I didn't want anything to do with anyone, I felt disconnected, like there was a piece of me missing inside. I put that down to grief but now I know it was something more. I learnt how to hack; it was like a drug to me. The high of decoding illegal data, downloading software, breaking into government databases, doing things I shouldn't have been able to do. I became good at it, too good. I started taking on the odd job, hacking into a security system or downloading some illegal data. I managed to make enough money to take care of myself. I started getting better though, taking on more serious jobs. Word quickly spread and I became infamous in underground circles. I lived in a dangerous part of town and had brutes coming after me every other night but at least most of them were only after my brain." she stopped, looking up to see Apoc's reaction.
He was sat, watching her, taking in every word she said. She couldn't read his expression but she had said this much that she may as well continue.
"When I turned eighteen I moved to New York and started a new life. I couldn't stay where I was any longer. Too many criminals knew where I lived. I knew my past would still follow me and this was a profession I couldn't get out of. But moving towns felt like a fresh start for me. I bought a run down apartment where no one would come looking for me. I had to be careful, planning places to meet clients. I had made a few mistakes back in Brooklyn, like not being armed. Now I couldn't sleep without a gun under my pillow. I was a petty criminal in the service of real offenders. I had no rights in a black market business and worked under threats and unjust deals. I picked up a few tricks of the trade but I could never sleep soundly knowing my name was on too many hit lists to count. I was starting to get sick of life, feeling on edge constantly, I felt trapped. I had no idea just how much that feeling was true though. I ran across the Matrix one night and was intrigued. At first it was just another challenge, something for me to hack. But as I looked into it further it eventually became my life, it consumed all my time, and it was constantly on my mind. I spent night after night trying to understand what it was. Every time I got close the lead I had been following would just disappear, it was infuriating. But one night I finally found out what it was and it changed my life forever." Switch explained, feeling slightly exhausted by the time she had finished going through it all. Her heart sank when she saw Apoc's vacant expression.
Apoc remained very quiet, at a complete loss for what to say. She knew she was losing him, he was pulling away from her, not liking what he had heard. She had finally let someone in and now they were going to shut her out. She couldn't meet his eye, she barely even knew him but his withdrawal hurt her.
"So now you know." she muttered, into her knees.
He didn't even look at her, still starring off into space.
"Please don't hate me. I'm not proud of who I was but, but… I've changed." she sighed, hiding her face in her knees. Her voice came out far more desperate that she had intended it to. But what did it matter if she had already lost him.
"What?" Apoc asked shocked, pulling out of his thoughts. "Why would I hate you? I could never hate you. The only people I hate are those bastards who treated you like that." he fumed, moving closer to her.
She looked up at him, her blue eyes locking onto his deep brown ones, filled with concern. She tried not to get her hopes up too much.
"You should hate me. I was a horrible person. I was treated the same way I treated the people I dealt with." Switch protested, testing him. If he wasn't going to leave now she wanted to be sure he never would.
"Don't blame yourself, you did what you had to. We all did. None of us had perfect lives or were decent living people. If we were we wouldn't be here." Apoc assured her, placing his hand on her knee.
He wasn't mad. She felt herself relax; he didn't blame her. This wasn't what she had expected. She was preparing herself for the worst. She had just wanted the truth out and assumed he would want nothing to do with her once he heard it. But he did. Her heart swelled, feeling the sadness fade away to be replaced with an unfamiliar feeling of acceptance.
Switch smiled and shuffled over so she was sat next to him. He was sat leaning against the wall, his legs hanging off the side of the bed. She rested her head against his shoulder and hugged onto his arm. She curled up against him, feeling his body heat warming her; it was so goddamn cold on this ship. What he had said touched her. Apoc really was different. She had shared with him her darkest secrets and she didn't feel weak or exposed, she felt accepted and even loved. She closed her eyes, having nothing more to say, simply enjoying being close to him. Her thoughts slowly drifted away until she was only left with a contented feeling that Apoc knew who she was and who she had been. She released her hold on consciousness and fell into a comfortable sleep. She hadn't realized until she now how starved she had been of human affection. Her body was in a state of peace it had never been in before, knowing that someone was with her, that someone would protect her.
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Switch was resting in a peaceful state somewhere between sleep and consciousness. She was particularly comfortable and felt much warmer than she had the previous night. A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered last night. Somehow she must have moved back to lying down, she couldn't remember how. Trying to clear her mind she pulled out her dreamy state, blinking her eyes open. She felt something warm around her. It her a second to work out it was Apoc. Her back was pressed up against his chest and his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close to him. Her heartbeat spiked, he was in her bed. He must have also fallen asleep once they'd finished talking. She didn't know if he'd simply fallen asleep or chosen to stay with her; she hoped it was the latter. She really didn't want to move, she was far too comfortable. His body keeping her warm, his heavy breathing tickling her neck, and his strong arm around her waist making her stomach flutter slightly. Who knew when she would ever get to have him this close to her again. She didn't want this moment to end. But she definitely didn't want anyone to find them like this. They hadn't done anything, not even close, but that wouldn't stop the knowing looks or leading questions they would get if anyone found out about this.
Switch rolled over so she was now facing Apoc, her movement stirred him awake. His brown eyes opened sleepily to stare into her blue ones. She couldn't stop a grin from forming on her face; this was so surreal to her. He smiled back coyly at her. She couldn't breathe, realizing how intimate their positioning was. Untangling herself form his arms she sat up awkwardly. Trying to change her sudden train of thought of intimacy she contemplated the idea of having to get up.
Apoc sighed as she moved away. She turned back to face him, a small smile forming on her lips. She hoped that sigh meant that he resented her having to pull away from him.
"Well, I guess after that perfect moment we will have to prepare ourselves for the joys that await us at breakfast." he muttered, giving her an almost grim smile.
She groaned, flopping back down onto the bed next to him. She knew they had to get up but they could afford to spend a little bit longer together.
"We had better. We can't be late… if anyone found us together, can you imagine what they would say, what they would think!" she exclaimed.
She could just picture the looks they would give her. That wasn't the impression she wanted to give them. She knew she hadn't done anything to be ashamed of but she didn't want anyone to get suspicious. Apoc just laughed, finding her exasperated expression funny.
"I'm pretty sure Trinity already knows." he replied, still chuckling to himself.
"What?" Switch asked horrified. Oh god, how could she know, had she been in here while she was asleep? This couldn't be happening.
"I should have been on lookout about three hours ago, after Trinity. She would have gone to my room and found me missing. She must have worked out where I was and taken my shift. I really need to thank her for that." he explained at complete ease.
Switch on the other hand was having a heart attack.
"Oh god, how can I go out there now? She's gonna think we, you know…" she gestured towards herself and then Apoc. "And she'll think I'm just a - "
"Shh, calm down. No one is going to think badly of you, or me. We didn't even do anything. Besides even if we did, that's no reason for anyone to treat you badly." he cut in, calming her down. "Now lets go get some breakfast." he added, his voice kind but firm.
Switch nodded and pulled herself out of bed, not really watching what she was doing. She took a deep breath, pulling herself together. She reached for her clothes that were draped over the metal piping on the wall. She pulled back on her jumper over the over shirt she was still wearing and reached out for her jeans. She would normally change out of her shorts but she couldn't do that with Apoc watching her so just pulled her jeans on over the top of them, the jeans were so baggy it didn't matter anyway. Once she was dressed she grabbed out a pair of socks from her cabinet and pulled them onto her feet. She shoved her feet into her boots and clipped them up before turning back around to face Apoc. She was startled when she saw him; he was sitting on her bed watching her. He quickly pulled his eyes away from her body, pretending to be suddenly interested in straightening the blanket on her bed. If she weren't so worried she would have found it funny but her mind was racing as she tried to think up the best way to explain to Trinity what had really happened. She just prayed Trinity had kept it to herself for now. She didn't want everyone to know about this.
Apoc stood to his feet and walked towards her, a small smile on his face.
"Ready?" he asked, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
She nodded, calming down a little at his touch. Apoc wandered over to the door, holding it open for her. She quickly dashed through the open door into the corridor, checking it was clear. Seeing no one insight she signaled for him to follow her. Smiling as he joined her they made their way towards the mess hall, walking as casually as they could.
As they walked into the crowed mess hall Tank looked up over Cypher's head and smiled at them.
"Hey!" Tank called as they entered further into the room.
Apoc waved to him and Switch smiled in response. Apoc turned to Switch, gesturing for her to take a seat. She gave him smile as she took a seat, what a gentleman. Taking a seat on the bench next to Dozer she waited for Apoc to get their breakfast.
"Here you go." Apoc said as he came back over, putting a bowl of slop in front of her.
"Thanks." she replied, giving him a small smile.
He sat down in between her and Dozer and began eating. Switch sat quietly, making herself eat the unappetizing food in front of her. Apoc had struck up a conversation with Dozer about installing a new tracing system. Switch pushed her food around with her spoon, not overly hungry. She could feel more than see Trinity's eyes on her. She really needed to talk to her; she just needed to work out how to get her alone. She tried to think of something but was coming up blank. She just hoped she could repair any damage this may have caused between the very fragile friendship they had formed.
"Switch." Trinity began.
Switch looked up, startled. Her breath caught and her eyes bulged slightly. Trinity wasn't going to ask her about last night now, was she?
"Let's go to the med bay. I want to check how your hands healing." Trinity suggested, giving her a comforting smile.
Switch sighed in relief. She now understood what Trinity was doing, she shouldn't have doubted her. Trinity was more tactful than that.
Switch nodded, returning her smile.
Trinity stood to her feet, waiting for Switch to do the same. Getting up Switch quickly followed her out of the room, not looking back at anyone still seated at the table. Walking out onto the main bridge Switch kept her eyes down, unable to look at Trinity. When they reached the med bay Trinity held the door open for her, ushering her inside.
Switch dashed through the door and turned to look at Trinity, worried what she was going to say. Trinity closed the door and spun round to look at her, an excited grin on her face.
"Okay, you have spill!" she squealed, clasping her hands together, literally beaming. Before moving her hands to her hips, putting on a mock stern face.
Switch was taken aback; she hadn't expected this reaction.
"Spill what?" she mumbled, turning bright red.
"Oh please, you think I would buy that? I know Apoc was in your room last night so don't play coy with me." Trinity giggled, giving Switch a knowing look.
"Okay, okay." Switch admitted, laughing awkwardly. "Yes, Apoc was in my room last night. But so what? We didn't do anything…" she trailed off, trying not to look too embarrassed.
"I'm glad to hear it, even if I don't fully believe it. You should really get to know each other better before you get into anything like that." Trinity replied looking pleased.
"That's what we were doing. We were honestly just talking." Switch assured her.
"Uh-huh and then sleeping together…" Trinity teased.
"Oh shush." Switch scorned jokingly. "You haven't said anything to anyone, have you?" she asked, worry creeping back into her voice.
"Course not, this is just between us. However if you two keep acting like you have been its not going to take long for the others to clue onto what's going on." Trinity cautioned.
Switch smiled sheepishly, she knew what she meant. Apoc had been a little overly friendly with her at breakfast this morning.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked, feeling herself blush slightly.
"You may as well have it written on your foreheads!" Trinity exclaimed.
Switch giggled uncomfortably, at a loss for what to say. She really wasn't making a good impression on any of them.
"I hope things work out for you guys though, I think you'll make a great team and an even better couple." she added, nudging her elbow into Switch's stomach.
"Oh really?" Switch asked, nudging her back.
"Really, you crazy chic." Trinity replied, rolling her eyes. "We can talk about this later but we had better go before someone comes looking for us." she said, making a move towards the door.
Switch nodded and followed Trinity out of the room.
They left the med bay, walking out as though nothing had happened and returned to the mess hall to find that almost everyone had already left. On their way back they had past Cypher who was now on lookout. Switch assumed Tank and Dozer must be in the engine room and as for Morpheus she had no idea where he had gone. Apoc still sat at the table waiting for them. Her face lit up when she saw him, she was glad he was still there. It looked like he was waiting for her.
Switch crossed the room and sat down next to him, giving him a smile. She looked to Trinity, confused at to why she was lingering by the door. She had assumed Trinity would come at sit with them.
"Well, I guess I'll just leave you two love birds alone then." Trinity offered, winking at them as she backed out of the room.
Switch couldn't help but giggle under her breath. Trinity was so good at making things awkward when she wanted to.
Apoc shock his head looking slightly embarrassed.
"Bye Trin." he chuckled, running his hand through his hair nervously.
Trinity gave them a dramatic knowing looking before she turned and sauntered from the room.
Once she had left Apoc turned to look at Switch.
"So, how did that go?" he asked, a small smile returning to his lips.
"Good, I think… you were right, Trinity knows. But don't worry I told her exactly what happened and what didn't. She said she wouldn't tell anyone." Switch replied, trying to sound convincing.
"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about." he replied putting his arm around her.
She smiled as his arm wove around her waist, pulling her too him. She'd never been in this kind of situation before, never had anyone this interested in her. She didn't know if they were moving to fast, she didn't even know if they were going anywhere at all. But whatever was going on between them it came naturally to her, which was a surprise. He was pulling out a side of her she didn't even know existed. But now that she thought about it she didn't even know who she was anymore. She wasn't the same person she had been inside the Matrix.
"Now come on. We can't just sit around all day. Lets go see if Tank and Dozer need any help." Apoc suggested, letting go of her.
He stood to his feet and offered her his hand. She gladly slipped her small pale hand into his big dark one, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Reluctantly letting go of his hand she followed him out of the mess hall and down towards the engine room. She felt a flutter of excitement and she wasn't sure if that had to do with Apoc holding her hand or the fact that she was finally being allowed to work along side the rest of crew. She decided it was both. A grin formed on her face as she realized that even after only a few days she was feeling more alive than she had ever felt and that didn't have to do with being free of the Matrix.