A/N: Greetings once again! Well here comes one of the shortest chapters of
this fic. Hope you aren't too disappointed. If you are, then deal. This chapter
will hopefully give you all some insight into Glitch's rather sordid past,
romantically speaking. Once again cookies go to Rei Kasen for posting this
for me.

Disclaimer: Blarg. No I don't own The Matrix or anything you recognize from
it. I do however own Glitch, Slice and anything you don't recognize. The
song lyrics are from "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne and are not mine
either.

Rating: It¹s a light R for language and angst. Nothing too bad but still no
kiddies unless you happen to have dish washing soap to wash their mouths out
with later.

On with the show!


IV: Figuring it out

I'm standing on a bridge
Waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It¹s a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this lifeS
******

It took Glitch several rounds of pointless pacing and three uncomforting
mugs of coffee to calm down. After much debate she decided to call someone.
If anything she could at least talk and perhaps get some good advice as
well. Splinter wasn't home and Cancer said Ring was at the Mainframe. She
didn't want to jeopardize their haven any further so that left one option.
She called Slice.

She gave him a patchy explanation of what had transpired between herself and
Agent Smith. Slice told her to meet him at the park bridge because he wanted
to hear more. Glitch reluctantly agreed and hung up the phone. She took a
quick glance out the window of her tiny living room and saw that it was
starting to rain again so before she left her apartment she threw on her
black raincoat.

The park was all but deserted, due to the dismal drizzle falling from the
overcast sky. Glitch parked her car by the curb across the street and
walked across the park to stand on the red bridge. The grass squished
beneath her feet and her worn tennis shoes slipped on the wet wood of the
bridge.

Glitch leaned on the rail of the bridge and looked out across the peanut
shaped pond. The water beneath her was murky and dark. Raindrops disturbed
the surface. A pair of mallard ducks swam out from under the bridge.
Following in their wake were three yellow and black ducklings that might
have been fluffy had they not been soaking wet from the rain. Glitch smiled
and sighed.

Heavy footsteps crunched up the gravel to Glitch's left and then began to
pound hollowly up the bridge. "You'll catch your death standing out in the
rain like that." Slice called as he approached.

Glitch looked over at him. "No I won't." She replied, flatly.

Slice came to stand beside her leaning one elbow on the wide rail. Both his
hands were jammed in the pockets of his brown trench coat. "So what did the
feds want?" He asked.

"My computer." She answered with out any more emotion.

"That's all?" Slice asked frowning down at her. "You wouldn't drag my ass
out into the rain just for that."

"No." She said. "I wanted you to send word to the Mainframe that I won't be
there for awhile."

"That's understandable." Slice said, now turning and leaning both arms on
the rail. "And probably best. Going to a hacker hangout won't improve your
rep with the feds. We'll keep in touch."

"No, you can't." Glitch said firmly, not looking at him.

"Why the hell not?" Slice snapped, sounding confused and angry.

"Because one of the Agents has been ordered toS" She swallowed looking for
words that didn't make her sound or feel like a whore. "Ordered to live in
my apartment." She finished finally.

"What?" Slice exclaimed turning to face her. "Fuck no! They don't have that
kind of authority!"

"Apparently they do." Glitch answered harshly.

"What on earth do they think that will accomplish?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't know." Glitch said gesturing wildly with both hands. "Maybe they
hope this guy will try to contact me and they can catch him."

"That's why they bug phones and put in cameras." Slice countered. "There's
something else going on."

Glitch rounded on him. "Look." She snarled her once empty eyes now full of
gray fire. "I don't know what the fuck they want with me, okay? They won't
tell me much and what little they do tell me I can't tell you."

"Damn it Simone what can you tell me?" He all but shouted.

Glitch flinched at the sound of her name as though it were a brandished
whip. "What I found was dangerous. That's all you or anyone needs to know
right now." Her voice was quieter now. She sounded scared, like a beaten
puppy.

"But this is just not right!" Slice barked taking a step closer to her. "You
have to get out of there. Come to my place, or to the Mainframe!"

Glitch placed her small hand on his chest and pushed him back. "I don't need
you to protect me anymore, Slice. I'm not a child like I used to be and I
can't run from what's already caught me."

Slice bowed his head, his mahogany hair falling down in his eyes. "I'm
sorry." He all but whispered. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just tell everyone at the Mainframe that I'm in good hands." Against her
better judgement, she reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry that I
can't tell you more."

Slice touched the back of her hand with his fingertips. His face searched
hers. "I'm sorrier that I can't do more." He sighed.

The sky had been darkening all during their conversation and the drizzle had
begun to turn into rain. "I had better get home." Glitch said pushing away
from the rail and looking up at the dismal canopy. The look in her eyes was
as dreary as the clouds.

"Want me to walk you to your car?" Slice offered.

Glitch silently shook her head.

Slice leaned over and wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders. Glitch's
tiny body was all but swallowed by his trench coat. Slice turned his face
towards hers and made to kiss her on the cheek but the instant his lips
brushed her face she flinched and pulled away.

"Good bye, Slice." She whispered quickly before turning from him and
striding towards her car. She threw the hood of her raincoat up as she went.
His reply of "Bye Glitch." Was lost in the falling rain.

The moment Glitch got home she made herself a fresh pot of coffee, decaf
this time. She wanted it more for comfort than anything.

Between sips of the warm drink, Glitch toweled off her wet hair and dressed
for bed. Her pajamas were always variations of the same thing. Tonight the
sweatpants were dark red and the tank top was black. The sweatpants were so
big that the cuffs covered her feet.

She turned back the covers of her tiny bed, before she finished off her
coffee. She climbed between the sheets and pulled her five-foot long body
pillow up next to her. With her arms and one leg wrapped securely around it
she allowed sleep to lull her into dreams.

******