Behind the Scenes

A/N: I have loved the Matrix for the last 15 years. Never got around to writing anything though, til now. Call me inspired by movie 4! Anyway, I don't own any of the characters or the rights. I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Series of missing moments from movies 1-3, maybe 4 if I get around to it. Just little shorts that connect the best NxT moments. Hopefully more chapters to come.

After the confession in the first movie:

Neo dove for the ringing telephone like his life depended on it. Which, in actuality, it did. The next thing he knew, he could feel the sharp sting of the jack being pulled from his head and Trinity's warm body shaking as it covered his own. Metallic screeches echoed in the small space and the tang of blood hung in the stale air. Then all at once, everything was quiet and the only thing Neo could hear was his own thudding heartbeat and Trinity's ragged breathing. Dust rained all around them as he took a pained, shallow breath.

Trinity could feel Neo move slightly beneath her. She bolted upright off of his body, looking down at him in awe and shock. He had made it. He was here. She could barely contain her amazement as she touched his cheek gently. His bright, brown eyes were gazing up at hers with a mix of equal parts dismay and confusion. She also suspected there might be something else lingering there in his gaze… hope, maybe? Happiness?

Wait a second… she thought. Oh god, he didn't really hear me, did he? Do I want him to have heard me? Trinity suddenly felt very embarrassed and very bare as panic suddenly started creeping into her veins. She didn't know what to say. She could only manage a small smile as she felt her cheeks alight.

Neo very gently reached out, slowly pulled her face to his, and brought their lips together in the lightest of kisses. She sucked in a breath, but embraced the moment. This is what she had been wanting for months; every time she watched him in the matrix, every time he made some clever quip or asked a silly question on board the Neb… this is what she had been waiting for. And yet, her heart could hardly believe what was happening before it was suddenly over. His eyes opened, baring directly into her soul.

"Trinity! Neo!" Morpheus called out.

Trinity cleared her throat and stood up. "We're okay!" She cleared some of the metal rubble out of the way before heading in Morpheus' direction, leaving Neo behind. She glanced quickly over her shoulder at him and saw the briefest of nods. He understood.

Morpheus and Tank were cut off from view by a piece of the hull that had caved in and broken off. Trinity climbed over the dead sentinel and ducked under the piece of hull before finally reaching her team, grunting with the effort. Both were miraculously alright.

"Tank, are you okay?" Trinity asked, worriedly inspecting his wound. He waved her off and nodded his head, clearly out of breath. Morpheus began asking after Neo right away, but Trinity assured him that he was alive and taking a moment to recover. He then began immediately doling out orders; they needed to get the ship in working order and fast.

Tank began working on the machinery that controlled the comms system as they were going to need to call a local ship and ask for immediate assistance. Trinity and Morpheus began clearing the walkway of the dead sentinels, bringing out the welding gear and welding equipment to use to cut the larger ones into smaller, more manageable pieces. Not long after, Neo rose from his seat and unsteadily walked towards where Trinity and Morpheus were hard at work.

"What can I do to help?" he asked.

Trinity and Morpheus eyed each other warily. Morpheus nodded, clearly giving Trinity the authority here. She turned to face Neo, trying to be gentle, but firm. "Neo, you need to rest. You just… you just died. Your body needs to recover before you will be of any use to us."

He scoffed. "There are only four of us left. I want to help. It's my fault the ship is in the state it's in."

"It's not your fault. Everyone is okay. For now, we've got this. We can get your help after you have rested for a while - we don't want you passing out or getting any worse. That will just cause more of an issue. So please, do as I say." She commanded. They locked gazes, Morpheus looking back and forth between them. After a few moments had passed, Neo nodded. He headed in the direction of his cabin without a backward glance. Trinity just sighed and wiped her face with her sweater. She was coated in sweat though she had only just started working.

This was going to be a long couple of days.

The next few days passed without incident, positive or negative.

They had managed to clear away all the sentinels, dumping them from the ship into a heap in the sewers. Some of them were stripped for spare parts which proved useful in repairing some of the damage to the ship.

After almost a day and a half of working on the comms unit, Tank had managed to contact a nearby vessel that could come and assist them in four days time. Two days remained, and they had made a surprising amount of progress, considering there were only four of them. The primary reason was that they were barely sleeping and steadily working in shifts, so work was being done at all hours of the day.

Morpheus and Neo were on the same day shift, while Trinity and Tank took the night shift. Neo had absolutely no idea how to help, so he mainly did the heavy lifting and assisted Morpheus as he welded. He also cleaned away any debris and at the end of his shift, prepped meals for Trinity and Tank so they wouldn't have to. After all, they were doing far more than he was; their time was more valuable.

Neo felt utterly and completely useless. He was doing the absolute bare minimum while his fellow crewmates were actively working to put the electricity and heat back on and the ship back together. He hadn't had two seconds free to talk to Trinity, and even if he had, he was unsure she would even want to talk to him. She barely made eye contact, and flinched when he purposely brushed by her at shift change. Confusion and sleep deprivation clouded his mind, which made him feel even more ineffectual in his quest to repair this fucking ship so things could go back to normal. Whatever normal was…

Two days remained before they would be rescued, which meant Neo had two days to try to talk to Trinity before another crew invaded their space and made it easier for Trinity to hide from him. He wasn't even sure she was hiding, but he felt in his bones that something wasn't right.

Trinity, on the other hand, was indeed hiding and avoiding Neo at all costs. But she could not for the life of her say why. She could chalk it up to nerves, busyness, exhaustion, or probably all of the above - but she couldn't justify why she avoided him when she also felt such a strong longing for him like nothing she had ever experienced. She was a walking conundrum that even she could not figure out. Nothing made sense. And because of that, it was a lot easier to hide from the problem rather than face it. She'd lost too many people; her emotional range was shot. She'd dealt with enough heartbreak.

With two days to go before they were due to be rescued, Trinity was grateful to finally finish her shift. She hadn't eaten since the start of her tireless labor 12 hours ago. Surprisingly, either Neo or Morpheus had been prepping meals for her and Tank so that when their shifts started, they would have food ready to go. She wondered which one was doing it, but couldn't say for sure who it was. She had yet to see them in the act. But without fail, bowls were laid out for her and Tank at the table when she woke up. It was touching, and she appreciated the gesture very much. Now at the end of her shift, she rubbed the grit from her eyes and yawned before fixing herself a quick meal and settling down to eat. She was starving.

She scarfed down the meal and sighed before rinsing her bowl and heading to the hallway that leads to the cabins and the washroom. She contemplated heading to her cabin and just drifting off into oblivion, but she desperately needed a shower, too. Just an hour ago, she had finally gotten the boiler up and running which meant not only heat (finally) but hot water. She hadn't bathed in days and knew it was finally time to wash the grime off of her. On the way to the washroom, as she was rubbing her face with both hands, she bumped into someone. Immediately her hands flew away from her face and she opened her eyes, preparing to apologize for not watching where she was going.

But she stopped in her tracks. It was Neo, and her voice caught in her throat. They stood there a moment, just looking at one another.

"Hello, Trinity," he said softly. He just stood there, gazing into her face, searching her eyes for whatever emotion she was trying to hide from him.

"Hello, Neo," she responded in kind, giving him a small, friendly smile. Seconds passed without either saying another word. The awkwardness was unbearable to her but she truly did not know what to say. Sorry I told you I loved you, I know we barely know each other but I watched you for months - don't freak out! I want to jump your bones but I'm also barely staying awake while trying to put this freaking ship back together. Don't mind me while I zombie my way around and look like absolute garbage while you still somehow look as handsome as ever. She just really wanted a shower and he stood between her and the washroom door. She eyed it, hoping he might shift his stance.

"Oh, are you headed to the washroom?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay, well, sorry to hold you up." He moved aside. His shift had just started, but his mind was racing. He felt like this was his chance. She was going to take a shower, which would wake her up, which meant she was not going to go straight to sleep. He took a deep breath, smiled at her again, and walked down the hallway to the core of the ship. This had to end. He needed to be able to tell her how he felt. Maybe she is avoiding me because she thinks I don't feel the same way about her? Maybe she feels awkward because she doesn't know if I heard her or not? Either way, come hell or high water, this was going to end today.

"Morpheus, can I ask you something?" Neo asked as Morpheus sat at the table, eating his meal. Morpheus looked up, mouth full, and nodded.

"What is it?"

Neo paused, contemplating how to phrase his question. "Sir, you know I would never shirk on my responsibilities to this ship and this crew, but there is something I need to take care of. Can I start my shift a little late this morning?"

Morpheus simply chuckled. "Neo, you need to talk to her. This cloud of uncertainty between you both is not subtle to me, or to Tank. In fact, it is driving me a little mad. Whatever it is you feel you need to say, I do encourage you to say it. However, if you are in any way disrespectful to Trinity, you will be pulling double duty, do you understand?" His fatherly tone was sharp with warning.

Neo was stunned. He didn't think anyone else knew about what was going on (or not going on, rather) between them. Clearly it didn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that there were some unexpressed emotions between them, but he didn't think it was that obvious.

"Yes, sir. I understand. And thank you." He turned on his heels and went back down the hallway to his cabin. He would wait for her to finish her shower and listen for her to return to her cabin before knocking and making his frustration at the situation known. He took deep breaths to steady his nerves, not even understanding why he was nervous in the first place. He knew how he felt, and he knew she felt the same.

Trinity didn't take her time in the shower. She did not want to waste the water, but she also was eager to head back to her cabin and curl up in bed. It's not like she would sleep, though. She would go through her nightly routine of daydreaming about Neo; what it was like to kiss him, what his skin would feel like against hers, and how his eyes would look as he gazed into hers. It was what calmed her down before finally being able to settle into sleep. She truly felt like an idiot every time she thought of him like that, especially since he was just down the hall from her. She knows she could have the real thing if she wanted. But the fear of not knowing if he felt as strongly for her as she did for him… well, she may be an ice queen on the outside, a brave soldier of Zion who could kick ass and take names, but this was her kryptonite. Would he only be with her out of loneliness or physical need? She didn't think she was willing to accept anything less than pure, unadulterated love, even at the cost of her own longing. And the likelihood that he felt as strongly as she did was too low to risk it.

As she cleaned her body with the rough soap, she wondered if she regretted telling him how she truly felt. In the moment, she assumed he couldn't really hear her, that she was just willing him to live, out loud. But she felt so scared in that moment that she might lose him for good that her fear overrode her anxieties, and she let it all out. She was not ashamed of how she felt in the slightest, but she certainly wished he would have said something upon his awakening. He did kiss me though… but was that a "thank you for your love, that's nice" kiss? Or was that a "yes, I love you too but can't say it back for some reason" kiss? Or was he just grateful to be alive and her lips were just… there? She sighed and rinsed off one last time before turning off the water and exiting the shower. She wrapped her body in a towel and used a smaller one to dry her hair. She opened the door, peered down the hallway, and after feeling confident that no one would see her, she strode down towards her cabin.

She had only been in her room for two minutes before she heard a soft knock at her door. She paused, still towel-drying her hair. She tightened the larger towel around her body before curiously opening the door. Neo stood there, hands wringing together in front of him. Her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Neo?"

He blanched, seeing her still wearing her towel. His mouth practically watered. She was stunning. "Hey Trinity, I'm really sorry, I thought you had time to change before I knocked. I can come back." He turned on his heels before she could even reply.

Against her better judgment, she bit her lip and called out, "wait - just give me another minute. I was just getting my clothes out," before closing the door. Her eyes widened, and she rushed to change clothes. What on earth am I doing!? What was he doing here? He is probably going to tell you that nothing can happen between you two, Trinity, so you better mentally prepare yourself for this, she told herself. She quickly put her clothes on, ran her fingers through her hair, and took a deep breath before answering the door. Her stomach was tight and her hands shook, but she prepared herself for the onslaught and counted her blessings that she had the next 12 hours to sit in here and mope before facing the crew again.

He was standing against the opposite wall, looking like a freaking GQ model. She internally swore.

"Hey, come on in." She opened the door wider, and gestured inside. He followed without a word, lips pursed. "What can I do for you?"

He paused for a moment. "May I sit down?" he asked. She nodded, and he sat on the edge of her bed, spine ramrod straight, looking nervous. He wiped his hands on his pants before taking a deep breath. "Trinity, I just think we should talk. You know, about what happened the other day."

Trinity leaned against the now-closed door. "I see…" she said softly. "What do you… what do you want to talk about?"

He scoffed quietly. "Well, for one thing, I'd like to know why you've been avoiding me." He lifted his brown eyes to meet her blue ones. He suddenly felt brave, staring into them. She, on the other hand, could only continue to panic.

"I haven't been avoiding you," she countered mildly, shifting her weight to one leg.

"See, I think you have been. You rarely look me in the eye, you rarely say anything to me… I know we are on opposite shifts and I wonder - if you asked to be?"

"No, I didn't say anything. Morpheus made that call," she said softly, looking at Neo's boots.

"Look, I'm not trying to start an argument. Quite the opposite, actually. I want us to be okay and right now I feel like we're not." He looked sad. Her mouth dropped slightly. He looked genuinely sad. Hope, in the form of a tickle inside her chest, suddenly flared to life.

"I want us to be okay, too. But I don't think that we're not okay. I mean, I'd like to also think we're okay." Oh my god, Trinity, you sound so incredibly stupid right now. Get it together. "What I mean is… I am not upset with you in any way. It's just been a difficult few days."

He sighed and nodded. "I can't even fathom what you're feeling right now." He shook his head and looked at the ceiling. "I have never lost so many loved ones, let alone all at once. You must be in a lot of pain. I just wish I could help alleviate it in some way."

Tears sprang to her eyes. She had tried every form of mental block and distraction technique possible to avoid thinking of her dead friends lying under a tarp in the belly of the ship. "Thank you. Yeah, that was… unexpected to say the least, losing them all. Or rather, almost all of them. I still have you three," she almost whispered. They locked eyes again.

"Trinity, there is something else I want to say. And please don't interrupt, okay?" She nodded her agreement. He wiped his hands on his jeans again, and patted the bed next to him. "Will you come sit with me?"

"Sure," she said, and warily sat next to him, hands tucked under her thighs so he wouldn't see them trembling.

He turned towards her. "I heard what you said, when I died. Or, I guess when I was actively dying." Her face began to flush in response. He didn't comment on it. "It was like I was underwater and didn't know which way was up. But then I heard your voice, and it gave me direction. It gave me purpose. I don't know how it's possible that I am still here but I know I am because of you. And then I heard the fear in your voice when you called my name. It brought me back to reality, literally, and the first thing I saw was this angelic, beautiful face hovering above me." Trinity's cheeks were radiating heat now, she was certain he could see it, if not actually feel it. But slowly, her fear was dissipating. That little flutter of hope was growing; it had sprouted wings and was flapping wildly in her chest. "Trinity, I'm just going to say it. I hope you meant what you said to me. I really do, because if you were just saying it in a desperate attempt to wake me up, I'm going to sound pretty foolish right now. But… I love you." A tiny gasp escaped Trinity's lips and her blood stilled in her veins. Neo looked directly into her eyes. "I have loved you ever since that night I saw you in the club. You were the most marvelous woman I'd ever seen. I became entranced by you. Ever since then, all I've wanted to be was near you. All I've wanted to hear was your voice, even talking about menial things. I just… I have been lovesick all this time and was convinced that you could never feel that way about me. You are way out of my league and trust me, I know that. But the last few days have been almost painful for me, not only because I haven't been able to see you but it seems like you don't want to see me. If you don't, I promise to keep my distance and honor your wishes but the not-knowing - it's killing me." He bit his lip nervously and searched her face for any indication of what her response was going to be. But her face had gone slack with shock.

Finally finding her voice somewhere down in her stomach, she answered him. "Neo… I am so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I never want to cause you any pain or discomfort. I just didn't know what to say to you. I spilled my guts out in a way that I never do, and though I don't regret saying what I said, I have been terrified of the ramifications ever since the words left my mouth. I hope you can forgive me." She took his hands in hers, and was surprised to see him grinning broadly. "What?" she asked curiously.

"You don't regret what you said. Which means you meant what you said. Which means… you love me." He grinned wider.

She choked on a laugh that somehow escaped her throat. "Well… yeah… I do. For a while," she admitted. But she couldn't get any other words out before his mouth was on hers in a crushing kiss. Gone was the tenderness from a few days ago; it was replaced with a hot intensity that took her very breath away and made her head swim with dizziness. His fingers laced through her damp hair and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. Desperate for air, she reluctantly pulled away, gasping.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before a giggle worked its way out of her mouth. He looked at her, eyebrow cocked, confusion showing on his handsome face. She just shook her head, more laughter bubbling out. He smiled in response. "What's so funny?" he murmured.

She giggled again. "I've been mentally torturing myself for weeks - weeks! - thinking you didn't feel the same way for me. And I'm a fucking soldier, Neo, and this has been just torture for me. I have faced down countless enemies and I couldn't even talk to you about this. I was so cowardly and you just come on in here and tell me all this and I just - you have no idea how fucking relieved I am - but I also really feel stupid because I couldn't muster the courage to talk to you first." She gestured wildly with her hands while she spoke, finally settling her face down into them, rubbing her tired eyes with the heels of her palms. "All this nonsense for no reason."

He rubbed her back with his open palm, stroking up and down her spine. She got goosebumps and sighed inwardly. "It's okay. Like I said, you've been through a lot. You just didn't want to incur any more pain. I understand that, I do. What you did opening up to me during that moment was brave, and I'm telling you, it saved my life. You saved me. In more ways than one, I should add.." he trailed off, as she glanced up at him from her bent posture, head tilting slightly in his direction.

"Do you really believe I did that? That my words are truly what brought you back to me?" she asked, so innocently, child-like, it almost broke him. But she said "brought you back to me," he thought, awestruck.

He smiled at her. "Yes, I do. You gave me the will to come back. I needed to come back to you." She grinned, face lighting up like the sunrise.

Surprising even herself, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and crushing him in an embrace. He hugged her back just as tightly, and they sat there, content to be in each others' arms, for several minutes before she begrudgingly pulled away.

"Neo, I am so happy right now I can't even believe what's just happened but… it has been a really long day and I am exhausted. It's probably best I get some sleep, and I know you're late for your shift too. Can we talk more later?" she asked hopefully.

He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Yes to both. I am late, and we will definitely talk later." Without hesitation, he reached around her to pull back the blankets and held them open for her to crawl into. She smiled and sank down into the covers, surprised by his actions. He brought the blankets up to her chin, stroked her hair back, looked deep into her eyes, and gave her one final kiss on the forehead before standing up, shutting off the lights, and opening the door. He glanced at her over his shoulder, barely illuminated by the soft glow of the hallway light. "Sweet dreams, Trin."

Once Neo closed the door behind him, Trinity let the tears fall. He loved her. And he had called her "Trin." And she loved it.