Okay. While I should, by all rights, be working on school stuff, I shall write more about the Matrix. For I am truly a procrastinator of the first rate.

Misty: Thanks for the review. We're going to be seeing what Pusher can do soon. I promise.

Alina: Once again, thanks. Don't worry about the fighting; it's coming. Trinity's just worried about Neo, so she hasn't been fighting much. She's about to hit her stride again. And as for the baby part, I was a little iffy when I wrote it. But Neo has always hit me as a conventional little geek guy who was thrown into extraordinary circumstances and fell for an exceptional woman. Trinity seems like the type to keep her emotions inside, but in the movie you can always tell exactly what she wants: Neo to be the One. I think that Neo wouldn't be able to help himself, and Trinity would secretly like it, thereby letting it go. She's never struck me as the kind of person to care what others thought. So I don't think she'd make him stop saying it. You know, just so long as it isn't constant. But that's just me.

Oh yeah. Does anyone else listen to the Distillers? Cause I've got their album on repeat (the first one-- it's got a Patti Smith cover). I had downloaded a crapload of their stuff. And if I actually liked it enough to go buy the album, rather than burn it, everyone should check it out. So it's sorta the soundtrack for this fic.

Xixie

Pusher joined Morpheus and Tank for breakfast in the mess. Everyone had been up late the last night due to a Squiddie attack. They had been able to avoid using the EMP, but the entire crew had remained awake in case of a second fly-by. Just as Pusher sat down with a bowl of delicious nutrients, a loud crash was heard down the hall.

Pusher jumped up as if to investigate, but Morpheus held up a hand. Without even looking up from his food, he gestured for Pusher to sit. Tank leaned over, "You want no part of this, I assure you."

Pusher was confused, to say the least. He looked towards the door, but remained seated. Some thirty seconds later, voices could be heard.

"Fuck you, Trinity."

Pusher looked shocked. Neo was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"She doesn't take that kinda shit off him, does she?" Pusher asked Tank.

Before he could answer another large metal object hit a wall. "Apparently not." Tank returned dryly.

"I'm just saying, Neo," she practically spat his name, "that you could have been slightly more time effective."

"Time effective! What does that even mean? Just do what you want and stop hovering over me telling me how to do everything. Jesus Christ, Trin, I'm not a child." Another loud crash was heard.

Tank nodded. "Yep. Now they're both throwing stuff."

Morpheus sighed, but looked completely resigned.

Pusher looked from the captain to Tank. "Shouldn't someone stop them before they kill each other? Or destroy the ship?"

Morpheus rubbed his eyes. "They only throw non-essential items. And if you interrupt, they'll just stop fighting, band together, and attack you. It's better to let them get it out."

More crashes and loud expletives were heard. They were down the hall, but seemed to be getting closer.

"Once Morpheus made them stop fighting." Tank interjected.

Pusher turned to him, interested. "Yeah. He said that if they didn't stop fighting, he'd assign them jobs on opposite sides of the ship and make them stop sharing a cabin."

Turning. "Yeah? How'd that work for you?"

Morpheus grunted. "Well, they stopped fighting for two weeks."

"Yeah," Tank laughed. "But they were entirely too tense. Then they decided to work off the frustration the old fashioned way, if you get my meaning. We didn't actually see them at all for the last week. Finally, they couldn't take it anymore. Biggest fight they've ever had."

Morpheus broke in. "They broke a bank of terminals."

"Yeah. But they were so happy afterwards. Smiles and hand-holding and adolescent googly eyes. Until Morpheus saw the computer bank. He separated them, just like he said. They were always working on opposite sides of the ship and Neo moved right back into his cabin."

"And that worked for how long?"

Tank laughed and looked to Morpheus. "They were the most obnoxiously morose people you've ever met. And at meals, they stared at each other like middle school students. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I just told them to stop breaking important stuff, and I'd stay out of their way."

As if to emphasize Morpheus' point, Neo began yelling again. "What do I want you to do? I want you to shut up and go the fuck away. Is that too hard for you?"

"Bastard. I don't even know why I bother. You seem perfectly happy to get yourself killed. No wonder I won't let you back in the Matrix."

"Oh, boy." Tank braced himself.

"You won't let me into the Matrix? Who died and made you God?" Obviously they had made their way to directly in front of the mess hall door. Trinity's screamed answer was louder than any previous comments.

"You did. The second you came back. Once you were the One, I became God. Because you're too stupid to take care of yourself, and I'm not going to be fucking left alone in this goddamn real world without you. So you're going to do exactly what I say."

The three at the table listened very carefully, but couldn't hear Neo's reply. A second later a dull thump was heard against the door. Pusher glanced at Morpheus and Tank, in turn. They were eating, quite sedately. "Is one of them dead?"

Tank paused before answering. Muffled sounds were heard on the other side of the door. And Trinity said Neo's name very lowly, almost huskily, but not quite, because Pusher knew for a fact that she didn't do huskily. "No, they're not killing each other. But, we better save them some breakfast, cause I don't think they'll be in here any time soon."