Notes: Thank you for reviewing. ^^

-

"How long do we have?" Trinity asked quietly, absently packing some of the twin's clothes away into a suitable bag. It felt strange, packing their things as well. Usually she only took what she needed for herself, but it seemed they needed more than she and Neo put together.

"Six hours, give or take," Neo replied, "We have to go see Morpheus in twenty minutes."

"Daddy, Daddy! Can we go see Athene? Just to say goodbye!" Nyx tugged at his jumper, staring up at him, eyes wide.

"Can we?" Lys added his own plea.

Their father smiled, not being able to refuse 'the look' from both his children, "Alright. But not for long, okay? I'm sure Athene has other things to do."

"Yeah!" the young girl beamed and ran for the door with her brother, Neo opening the it for them and standing outside their small apartment, watching them run to a room several doors down, Nyx rapping on it whilst Lys stood on tip-toe to try and see through the small metal grate near the middle.

A young teenage girl answered the door, being no more than sixteen years old, poking her head out and looking around. A sly grin on her face, she then frowned, "…Hmmm….I was sure somebody knocked on the door…." she ran a hand through her dark blonde hair, "Where are they?"

"Down here!" Lys laughed.

"Athene!" Nyx protested, grinning and waving.

"Ah! So its you two again….." she narrowed her eyes and knelt to their level, "What mischief are you up to today?"

Lys started to talk excitedly to her, Athene managing to nod in the right places, before she ushered them both inside, leaning out the door and waving to their father, "Don't worry, Neo! I'll have them back in a half hour!"

"Think you can keep them busy for two hours?" he questioned.

She smiled again, "I'll sure try!" Athene waved once more and shut the door behind her. She had been disconnected barely two years ago and had never returned to the Matrix; even at her young age she had intended to work with children, so Zion had given her the opportunity to do just that. Only for real, "Alright kids! Who wants to help me with a little experiment?"

"Me!" they chorused.

Athene laughed and herded them further into her small room, "Alright, but if anything explodes: it was you guys, okay!"

-

"So your decision is final?" Morpheus asked them, sitting around a table in the semi-powered Neb.

Neo nodded, "They come with us. That is, if you're still okay with the idea of two children on your ship."

"They are well behaved for children their age," the Captain commented, "They know the difference between right and wrong and when to be on their best behaviour. With the two of you here with them I don't believe they will be any trouble."

"…I don't know how they're going to respond when they see us plugged in…" Trinity said quietly.

"Do they understand the concept of the Matrix?" Morpheus frowned.

"Just," Neo answered, "As far as they understand, its another world, like a dream, that we can cross in and out of. They know that the machines control it and that we used to 'live' in it, hence why we have plugs and they don't."

"And they know that there are 'bad things' as they put it, in there, and we're trying to stop them." Trinity finished.

"Who's going to watch them when we're all inside?" Morpheus stood up and switched on another overhead light.

"Link said he'd keep an eye on them if everyone went in, like we said, to put it bluntly, they know when to 'sit down and shut up'," Neo answered.

The Captain sat back down, "Have you any advance on what the Oracle told you?"

The parents shook their heads, Neo looking down at the table;

"'Keep your children close'……what the hell does that mean?" he whispered.

"Literally anything," Trinity stated.

"Regardless of her words, do you believe this to be the right decision?" Morpheus regarded them both with a steady gaze.

Both of them knew it was serious if their Captain was practically telling them to ignore the Oracle whom he had so much faith in.

"Yes," they said in unison.

-

"I want you to promise me something," Trinity said, once they got back to their 'home', shutting the door behind her and leaning against it.

"Anything," Neo replied, not straying from her side and looking directly at her.

She looked down for a second, then back up at him, "If it comes down to me or them…choose them."

He stared back at her, "…I cant leave you……why are you-"

"Because," she simply stated, "Because they are all we have. They're ours. They don't deserve to die because of one of us. They're innocent, Neo, they're so young, they're just beginning their lives…."

"…And how am I supposed to rationalise this to them if it comes to it?" he said softly.

She reached up and rested her hand against his cheek, "Because you have to," she leaned into him, "If you have to make the choice…..keep them safe. I love you so much, I love Nyx and Lys, but if I have to leave you…..let me."

Neo wrapped his arms around her tightly, "….You sound as if you've already seen this."

She tightened her grip on him, "I don't ask you to promise aloud. I trust you to make the right choice."

"Then I ask the same of you," he said softly.

"Because they come first. We both know that."

-

"Gods, I'm going to miss you two," Athene hugged both Nyx and Lys to her tightly, determined not to cry.

The twins, however, had no such control, "We'll see you again when we come back to Zion…" Nyx sniffed.

"And we'll be back in a few months," Lys nodded solemnly.

"I know," the young girl gently released them and gave them both a small shove towards their father, "I'll see you then, alright, terrors?" she grinned, despite how she felt.

"We'll miss you, Nee," Lys wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Be good, okay?" she smiled.

"We will," Nyx nodded, sniffed again stood beside her father.

"Thanks Athene," Neo stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, no problem," Athene smiled through watery blue eyes, "They're little angels really," she quipped. She drew away from him, "Seriously Neo, they're a credit to you and Trinity."

He nodded, a proud smile on his features, "Thank you," he took each of the twin's hands, "We'll see you when we next dock?"

"You can count on it!" she was about to close her door when Nyx broke from her father's side, running along the walkway to her own home, dashing inside and running back out again. She held something up to Athene when she made it back again;
"I want you to have her." she stated.

She gently took the gift from Nyx' hands, "I cant take this….you love her!"

"But I love you too," the girl nodded, "So she'll keep you safe. And we'll all be together if you keep her."

Athene smoothed down the ears of the small plush rabbit, "Thank you, Nyx. I'll make sure she has a good home."

Lys rummaged around in his pockets for a few seconds, suddenly producing a length of green ribbon. He reached up and tied it round the rabbit's neck, "There."

"We've got to go, kids…." Neo reluctantly said.

"Thank you Lys," she patted his head, "Now both of you, run along. You don't want to miss the Neb."

Neo led them away, both looking back at the door of their friend/ babysitter as she shut her door, "You'll see her soon, okay?"

They nodded in silence.

"….Are you and Mama going into the Matrix?" Lys' question seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Sometimes not very often and others for quite a while," The One replied, "Can you both be good for Link?"

Nyx nodded, "We know what to do."

Trinity took four bags from the walkway by the door to their apartment, handing one to Neo, taking the other three herself, "We all ready to go?"

He swung the bag over his left shoulder, "I think so."

"Lys, Nyx, you ready?" their mother asked them.

Lys jumped a little as Trinity swung shut the door behind her, "Yes, Mama."

"We're ready, Mama," his sister added.

"Let's go."

-