I stumbled out the door Two had gone through and found that it led into the garden. I looked around at all the many bare trees around me and also at all the statues, benches, yard lamps, and other decorative things dotted here and there around the large garden area. The cobblestone walk I stood on zigzagged through everything and was lined on both sides with little lights. The place must have looked lovely in spring and summer. I soon spotted Two sitting on the grass beside a small pond that was lit up with yellow lights and had a huge fountain in the middle. The spray from the fountain made the water ripple and with the lights shining on it it was an absolute stunning sight. Two sat huddled with his head buried in his arms. I hesitated a minute, running my hands down my shiny gold pants then stopped. I had forgotten that I still had my Matrix clothes on. I looked down at my white boots that looked similar to the ones the Twins wore then I ran my hands over the slick gold trench coat that matched my pants. Quickly, I took off my shades and stuffed them in my pocket and started taking my coat off. The thing was cool looking, but it was heavy, especially with the guns and ammunition I still had hidden inside it. I threw the coat onto the walk and adjusted my black sweatshirt, pulling it down and smoothing the wrinkles out. After making sure my hair was just right, I slowly made my way to Two. I quietly walked up and sat down beside the twin and stared into the fountain's spray. Two was softly crying.
"I didn't know programs could cry so much, especially ones who are supposed to be assassins and without emotions." I said softly. Two didn't answer for awhile.
"I don't want to leave," Two finally said in a low, watery voice. "I don't want to leave this world and you."
I leaned my head on his left shoulder. Two looked up from his arms, tears streaming from under his shades and down his face.
"I've never known what it's like to actually have a friend until I met you."
"What about One?"
"He's my brother. Friendships with family members are different from friendships with real friends," Two looked into my face and smiled. "You cared about me even though I was evil. You cared enough about me to save my life. You stood by my side through many things. I've never had anyone to do that before. It's all so new to me. I always thought no one wanted a rogue program, but I guess I was wrong."
"You're forgetting that I saved your brother too. I care about him just as much as I care about you."
"Of course," Two smiled.
"There's something I've wanted to say though," I continued. "Even though both of you are sweet and awesome and I like you both so much, I have to say that I think I'm going to miss you most of all." Tears started to form in my eyes as I looked into Two's face. "I love you Two."
"Y-you love me?!" Two stuttered. Even in the dim light of the pond lights I could tell that Two's pale cheeks were blushing. I'm glad the Twins were programmed to blush because they were so sweet when they did.
"You don't have to worry," I chuckled at Two's stunned face. "It's not a romantic love; it's a friendship love—a strong friendship love." I wiped a tear away from my eyes. "I don't know how to explain it but you're special to me. Maybe it's because you were the first one I nursed back to health the night I found you both, or maybe it's your personality. I dunno. Your childish personality is so sweet."
"Does it show that much?" Two lowered his voice.
"Don't worry. It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have that little bit of child in us; some people may show it more than others. There's nothing wrong with it, just so long as you keep control of it and not act too childish."
"One always teases me about it," Two turned a sadden face to me. "He says I act like a baby sometimes."
"I wouldn't say that. One just doesn't understand. A person's personality is what makes that individual special. No one can help what personality they have because that's what they were born with," I looked at Two, "or what they were programmed with. As far as I'm concerned your personality is ok." I playfully tapped the end of Two's nose with the tip of my finger. "And don't you ever change."
Two hid his blushing face in his coat while faking a cough to cover it up. I looked at Two then slowly reached out and started to stroke his silver dreadlocks, which glistened in the light of the pond when they moved. Two remained still and let me continue doing it. After I took my hand away, Two looked down in a sad way.
"Brings back memories doesn't it?" I whispered sadly.
"Yeah, it does."
"At least we'll have the memories to remember." I forced a smile through my tears.
"Yeah,"
"Can you take your shades off?"
Two looked at me.
"Please? Just one more time?"
Two slowly reached up and grabbed hold of his shades and took them off.
"Now open up your eyes." I laughed.
Two slowly opened his tightly shut eyes and blinked a few times before turning to look at me. His eyes were red from crying, but they were still stunning silver. The soft light of the pond lights reflected off them, making them look totally breathtaking. At that moment, I was beginning to wonder if that friendship love I had for Two wasn't turning into another kind of love. Two and I sat there quietly staring each other in the face. A shiver ran down my spine as I looked at the expression on Two's face. It was an expression I had never seen on his face before. He slowly leaned forward with his eyes closing and, as if in a dream, I slowly felt that Two's lips were about to touch mine. I quickly came back to reality and turned my head away. He quickly drew back and cleared his throat. I think he was a little embarrassed at what almost happened. Putting his shades back on, he forced himself to look at me again, his face totally red with embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry, Angel, I-I don't know what came over me there. I've never felt that before." he stuttered in a low, shy voice.
"It's ok. No harm done." I smiled. Two forced a nervous smile back.
"When we—my brother and I—first came to this world," Two said, changing the subject, "we were scared of everything and everyone. It was something we had never felt before. We caused fear, but we had never felt it ourselves. It mostly came from the Merovingian taking our powers away. We were helpless and we knew it. The least little noise, we'd nearly jump out of our skins because we knew we couldn't defend ourselves, and if we were injured the pain would be there for awhile until we healed naturally as humans do. But we adapted and we came to find out that we liked it here. It wasn't so bad after all. In fact, we came to find out that it was kinda nice to not have powers and to see how normal people live. Then that night when the Merovingian got mad at us we changed our minds. That's why I jumped when you first touched me. I didn't mean to do it, but I was just so scared of being touched by you—by anyone. I was helpless and I didn't want to be deleted." Two started crying again.
"Aww, Two, it's okay. I understand. There's no need for an apology or an explanation."
Two looked up from crying, a tear trickling down his cheek.
"I'm just sorry that you and One even had to go through something like that. At least you both will be safe from it once you return to… well, you know…"
"Angel, do you have any idea of what that will be like? We'll be back in the Reloaded movie! We'll be evil again—working for the Merovingian, fighting Morpheus in the parking garage, chasing Neo and the others down the highway until…" Two's words trailed off. He sighed and continued. "Maybe it'll be for the best. Maybe I'll come back to my senses and act like my old self again, instead of the whining crybaby I am now."
"Two, you aren't a crybaby."
"I am too," Two sniveled. "Look at me, sitting here crying my eyes out—a big bad assassin crying and blubbering all over."
"It's only natural, Two. Everyone cries at one time or another. At the moment you're scared, you want to stay here with me but you know you can't so you're sad too. Everyone cries when they're sad or know they won't be seeing someone—a friend that they love—again. Look at me, I'm crying too for the same reasons, but that doesn't make me a crybaby does it?"
"No." Two softly whispered, wiping the tears from his cheek with the back of his hand.
"There you see? Just because someone cries doesn't make them a crybaby."
Two smiled. "But One's right, I do act like a baby."
"Two, you don't either. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I thought you were awesome during the chase on the highway today. So brave, so menacing, so tough. And the way that you and One saved my life when that guy was choking me was awesome too. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Two grinned. "I want to thank you for saving our lives too. Since everything's happened I haven't had a chance to tell you."
"I'm glad I did save your lives," I smiled and ran my hand over Two's hair once more. "Everything will be fine, you'll see. You'll both go back and someday we'll see each other again then it'll be like a friendship reunion or something."
Two looked at me in a sad and uncertain way.
"We will see each other again won't we?" I searched Two's face. I felt more tears swell up in my eyes.
"I dunno, Angel. I hope we will." Two's voice was low and about to crack.
"That makes two of us." I breathed.
Two lowered his head again and looked at the blade of grass he fingered in his hands. It was almost too good to be true, but I think I had broken through Two's assassin personality and brought out some sign of emotion. There was something inside of Two that wanted to get out, I could feel it and he had even shown a little bit of it. Something inside of me wanted at that moment to just grab Two's arm and run as far away from everything as I could possibly run and make Two's dream of staying in this world a reality. I knew, though, that I could never do it. The Oracle was right; if just one of them stayed in our world the Reloaded movie would be incomplete. Goodness knows what Two staying behind would eventually do to our world too, as the Oracle had warned.
"So here's where you two ran off to,"
Both Two and I turned to see One slowly walk up beside us, his hands behind his back.
"And just what are you two up to?" he smiled.
"Nothing. Just talking," I said as One seated himself on the grass beside me.
"Is Two telling you how he still sucks his thumb at night when he's asleep?" One snickered.
"I do not!" Two snapped.
"Easy, brother, I was only joshing." One tried to hide a laugh.
"See? He teases me all the time." Two held back more tears.
"One, stop teasing your brother," I slightly laughed while playfully nudging One in the arm with my elbow.
"Okay, I'll stop." One smiled.
"Yeah, right," Two mumbled.
"Really, I will. Angel told me to stop so I'll stop."
Two threw One an unsure glance before sighing and settling his head on his folded arms and staring at the fountain's water.
"He does snore, though." One whispered in my ear. I playfully pushed One away and smiled at him.
Looking at One, his comical mood seemed to turn a little sad. He looked at me for the longest time.
"I'm going to miss you, Angel," he finally got out, sounding as though he too would start crying. "I wasn't sure of you at first, but now I feel as if we're two old friends."
As One continued talking, I absentmindedly put my hand on Two's shoulder and began to softly rub it, brushing his dreadlocks to the other side as I moved to his back.
"I want to thank you for saving our lives that night. I know I haven't shown or paid much attention to you before now, but I want to say that I never really knew what to say to you. I've only known hard and rough things so when it came to actually speaking and acting around you, I just didn't know how to act or what to say." One snapped off a piece of grass and began to finger it as Two was doing. "It's not that I didn't like you because I do like you, it's just… I dunno. Too proud of what I am I guess you could say." One threw the piece of grass into the pond. Two did the same with his.
I warmly smiled at One.
"Hope I didn't hurt your feelings or anything with my somewhat rude behavior." One looked into my eyes.
"Not at all, One. I understand perfectly. I kinda had a feeling that that's what your problem was, although I wasn't going to say anything until the time came."
One smiled.
"Can I have that hug you were going to give me earlier?" One blushed a little at asking. Before he had a chance to get away again, I threw my arms around his neck, nearly knocking us both over onto the pond's bank and rolling into the water, and gave him such a hug.
"How's that?" I asked after pulling back. One blushed even redder and smiled. We all suddenly burst out laughing, but the clearing of a throat brought us all to attention. Looking around we saw the Oracle standing on the cobblestone walk. She smiled at seeing all three of us.
"I hate to break up your fun, but it's time we were heading home." she softly said.
"It's not midnight yet." said One.
"I know, but it's better that we go ahead and get it over with before something else happens. Now, come along." The Oracle disappeared down the stone walk and behind a bush. One got up and followed. I sadly turned to Two. His head was lowered again; his lip fidgeting as if trying to hold back the tears that he knew wouldn't stop once they started. I took my hand and placed it under his chin, resting my fingers on his other cheek, and slowly turned his face to me. His pale skin felt smooth and soft to the touch.
"Everything's going to be okay," I said in a shaky, tear-filled voice. "You'll see."
"Who's going to look after you when we leave?" Two asked softly. I smiled, a tear trickling down my face.
"Don't worry about me. I'll manage somehow." I took my finger and wiped away a tear that managed to escape down Two's pale cheek. Two pulled his face out of my hand and grabbed onto his coat. Reaching down into one of his pockets, he pulled out his razor. I watched in a puzzling way as he reached and took my hand. Carefully he placed the pearl handled weapon in my hand and closed my fingers around it.
"When I'm gone I want you to remember me whenever you look at it," he whispered, looking into my face. "And when we meet again, I'll teach you how to use it."
I took my hand out of his and looked at the razor he had placed in the palm of my hand then looked up into his face again and smiled. All I could do was throw my arms around Two and give him a hug.
"Friends forever, buddy." I whispered in his ear.
"Are you two coming? The Oracle's getting rather impatient." We heard One's voice call out from over the bushes.
"We're coming, One!" I shouted back while getting up. Two got up too and together we both walked hand in hand toward the back door.
