Disclaimer: I lay no claim to any of the characters other than Tess – the rest belong to the Wachowski brothers, god bless 'em.
A/N: My first Matrix fan fiction. Please be kind. R/R PLEASE!!!
Takes place during Reloaded, on the day when the ships all return to Zion. Tess is Soren's lover and she's contemplating her past and their future together. It's actually quite sad if you know what happens to Soren later. Morpheus and Trinity are secondary characters and Neo has a brief cameo. Actually, his crotch has a brief cameo. (Don't worry, its not as sordid as it sounds!)
This is the second to last chapter – 4 will be up soon.
Chapter Three
I first met Soren when he came to the clinic for a cough he couldn't shake. It wasn't love at first sight, but it was close. I was instantly attracted to him. He had a look about him that was exotic, but humble. I took one look at his small, muscular frame, olive skin and dark eyes and instantly felt a connection.
Those eyes are what finally did me in. He had come into the tiny room stooped over in a fit of coughing. When he finally stopped and looked up at me I could see the corners of his eyes begin to crinkle - a side effect of an apologetic smile - and I felt myself begin to melt just a little.
After I fixed him up we began spending time together, which was difficult at first because he was so often on duty. Luckily though, The Vigilant was a patrol ship, so it didn't usually venture as far from Zion as the Nebuchadnezzar did on its reconnaissance missions. Soren had actually considered joining the Neb when they lost several of their crew members two years ago, but changed his mind at the last minute. Needless to say, I was more than relieved at his decision.
He never told me exactly why he changed his mind, but I later learned from Trinity that it was because of me. Soren is a man of few words who doesn't generally wear his heart on his sleeve, so that was my first indication that he was starting to get "serious" about our relationship. I guess now I'll see how serious he really is.
I'm going to tell him tonight, after the celebration has died down and the city is quiet. I'm going to tell Soren that he is going to be a father. If he's not happy with the news, so be it. It doesn't change the fact that in seven months, I'll give birth to our child. A child born completely free - without plugs, without ever having lived in the Matrix, without ever having been betrayed by its lies.
Tonight, I tell myself. I will tell Soren tonight after the party. But for now, we've been instructed to celebrate and everyone seems be obeying. The party is in full swing and there are people everywhere in the temple. Morpheus's speech must have been convincing, because no one appears to be worrying about the sentinels. No one seems to be worrying about much of anything, other than pure hedonism.
"Oh, I'm sorry!", a young man apologizes as he bumps into me causing me to spill tea right down the front of him, soaking the crotch of his tight pants.
"No – I'm the one who's sorry… Look at your pants!"
I instinctively take the off the scarf I'm wearing in my hair and begin to dab at the stain. I make a couple of quick wipes before I realize exactly what I'm doing and where I'm touching this stranger and I pull back in horrified embarrassment.
A familiar voice interrupts my humiliation.
"Tess!"
I wheel around to see an old friend.
"Trinity!"
"I see you've met Neo?"
The young man standing beside me with the damp crotch looks down at me, smiles, and extends his hand.
"Not formally. Hi, I'm Neo."
"Tess," I manage to mumble.
Shit, I think. I've just molested our savior.
To further add to my humiliation, Soren picks that very moment to find me. He puts his arms around my waist, and squeezes tight.
"I have to watch you every minute, don't I?" Soren asks me with a sly smile.
"Apparently you do!" says Trinity facetiously while Neo and I are left to simply stand there and stew in our discomfort. Trinity turns back to me, while snaking an arm around Neo. "It's good to see you again, Tess. I hope Soren is treating you well."
"Like a queen," I reply winking up over my shoulder at my lover. His hands are still around my waist, but he begins to gently rub my stomach. I start to panic. Can he tell? Consciously, I know I'm not showing yet, but subconsciously I worry that he can feel the life I have growing inside me.
"Good." Trinity shoots Soren a steely, yet playful stare. "I would hate to have to kick your ass had I heard otherwise."
Hearing this declaration from Trinity makes me smile. After all this time, she's still looking out for me. I realize how much I miss her.
Soren grins back at her, then down at me.
"Actually, I do need to steal Tess away for a bit. Sorry to break up the party, but I imagine you two…"
"Yes. We've got things to do..." says Trinity as she flashes her lover a seductive smile.
"It was nice to meet you, Tess," says Neo.
"Yes, you too. And I'm really sorry about…"
"Don't worry about it." He winks down at me with a sweet smile of forgiveness. Savior or not, I can see why Trinity is so taken with him.
Watching the two of them walk off together, clutching each other as if afraid to let go, as if they are the only two people in this city, I finally, truly believe Morpheus. Neo will save us. The Oracle told Trinity she would fall in love with the One. And I can't imagine ever seeing her more in love.
Soren releases his grip on my waist, breaking my meditation and leads me gently by the arm to a quieter corner of the cavernous temple.
"What's wrong? Has something happened?" I ask cautiously. I'm always prepared for the worst. We always have to be here.
"Nothing's wrong," Soren assures me with a grin. "I just thought we could sneak away for some alone time upstairs while everyone else is down here."
"Mmm. Sounds good". I feign relief, but in truth, I'm terrified. I'm going to have to tell Soren now. There's no way around it. The opportunity is just too perfect.
