When Trinity and Neo finally made it to the kitchen for breakfast, everyone else was already there, except Morpheus. Neo got both he and Trinity bowls of goop and sat down next to her. Before he started eating, he smiled at the girl sitting across from him. "Hi. It's good to see you up and around finally. I'm Neo. This is Trinity." Trinity smiled half heartedly.

Christala smiled broadly. "I'm Christala." She glanced at Trinity. "Are you the one who cracked the IRS D-base?"

Trinity fought the urge to roll her eyes. Why was that what everyone asked? "Yeah. That was a long time ago though."

Christala nodded. "I tried to do that, I was actually getting pretty close before I was...unplugged or whatever. How old were you when you cracked it?" she asked curiously.

Trinity smirked. "I was 9 the first time."

"Oh." Christala poked at the bowl of goop some more, wishing for something to say. She didn't like the silence that permeated the room. "Mouse said I can start training soon, so I can fight," she finally said.

Neo raised an eyebrow at Trinity who had frozen with her spoon half way to her mouth.

"That's...nice," Switch said, looking at Tank who looked just as shocked and confused as everyone else in the kitchen. Except for Mouse who was currently very interested in staring at his empty bowl.

Christala blushed and stared at the metal table. Apparently she wasn't supposed to say that. She ran a hand nervously over her very short hair, trying to think of a way to make it right again.

"It'll grow back," Mouse said with a laugh, looking at her.

Christala's head jerked up. "What?"

"Your hair. It'll grow back."

"I know," she said with a self-conscious smile. "It's just the first time that I haven't had long hair."

"Technically, you've never had long hair," Switch argued.

"Or any hair," Apoc added with a roll of his eyes.

Christala blushed again and wondered if it was possible to feel like any more of an idiot. She was saved from further embarrassment when Morpheus came in.

"Tank, get ready to load the training programs. Trinity, I need to see you and Switch."

Tank tossed his bowl in the sink and left, followed by Dozer. Neo squeezed Trinity's hand under the table and raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if she was going to tell Morpheus about the baby then. Trinity shook her head and left to find their captain, Switch following close behind.

Apoc turned to Neo. "They're letting her fight? The age requirement for ship assignment is 18!"

Neo nodded. "I know. Morpheus has his reasons."

"Now you're starting to sound like the Oracle," Apoc grumbled as he got up as well left to work on ship repairs. Neo just laughed and followed, wanting to know what Morpheus had needed Trinity and Switch for.

Once they were alone, Christala looked at Mouse miserably. "They hate me," she said sadly.

"No they don't," he argued gently. "They're like that with all newbies. They just don't know you yet." He smiled then. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be," Christala responded with a nervous smile.

"You'll be fine. When Neo was taken out, he did 10 hours of training then fought Morpheus. But they'll start you slower. It took me five days, 2 hours each day, before I was trained."

Christala smiled then, a real smile. "Thanks. I'll see you when I'm done?"

Mouse grinned. "Sure. Why don't you go on? I'll take care of your bowl." As Christala hurried from the room Mouse stared after her with a love-sick smile on his face.

Neo found Morpheus but Morpheus wouldn't tell him what he'd asked Trinity and Switch to do. So Neo searched the ship, starting with the bathrooms in case Trinity was having morning sickness problems again. He passed the programming room, figuring that Mouse was in there as usual, when the unusual sound of feminine laughter met his ears. Confused, Neo stuck his head in the room in time to see Trinity swat Switch playfully. "Ew, no! That's awful!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"Oh come on, it'd stick out!" Switch argued.

"Yeah, but not in a good way!"

Neo cleared his throat as he walked in the room. "What are you two up to?" he asked and laughed when both women jumped, spinning to see him.

"Nothing," Trinity said quickly, turning off the monitor.

"Nothing, huh? Well, we'll see about that." He walked towards the monitor and was about to turn it back on when Trinity grabbed his hand.

"Fine, we'll tell you." She sighed. "Morpheus wanted us to redo the agent training program for Christala."

"So the woman in the red dress is out then?" he asked with a smirk. Mouse would be crushed, the woman in the red dress was his masterpiece.

"Well...more like we're updating it. The woman in the red dress was okay for you. But the whole point of that program is for someone the newbie would find attractive to distract them, to teach them that agents can be anyone. And since Switch and I are the only two women on the ship, Morpheus wanted us to design a man."

Neo laughed. "Seriously? Well, what have you got so far?"

Switch glared at Trinity. "Well she vetoed my idea."

"Again, the idea is for her to be attracted, not repulsed!" Trinity exclaimed.

"What was your idea?" Neo asked, amused. It was rare, very rare, to see Switch laughing. The rest of the ship would say the same about Trinity, but he knew better.

"I thought..."

"She wanted a 400 pound man in a wife-beater and a mullet!" Trinity rolled her ice blue eyes.

"Well he'd stand out in the program, wouldn't he?"

"But if you saw that, you wouldn't stare at it...well maybe you would, but most people look down and try to get that image out of their heads!"

"Well fine then, what do you suggest? I'm not sure that a Neo-clone is a good idea."

"I wasn't going to suggest it!" Trinity defended. Neo was hers, not anyone else's. "Maybe we should do this piece by piece."

Neo shook his head with a laugh. "Good luck. Trin, when you're done, I need you."

"No kidding," Switch muttered, only to earn another swat from Trinity.

"I'll find you."

When Neo left, Trinity turned the monitor back on. "Okay. First things first, hair color."

"Black," Switch said automatically.

"Eyes?"

"Blue."

"Blue? I was thinking brown..."

Three hours later, Trinity presented the new program to Morpheus and checked on Christala. "How are you doing?" she asked.

Christala grinned. "Great. Tank said that tomorrow I learn drunken boxing." She paused. "When am I going to need to be able to box when drunk though?"

Trinity rolled her eyes and turned to Tank. "Have you seen Neo?"

"I think he said something about helping Apoc."

Trinity thanked Tank and headed towards the destroyed section of the ship. She walked as softly as she could towards her lover who was crouched in a corner. Bending down, she was about to say his name when Neo spoke up. "Hey. Did you finish your project?"

"Finished and delivered to Morpheus. What's up?"

Neo stood and linked his fingers with hers. "I talked to Tank and he said that anytime today, he can do an ultrasound so we can find out how far along you are."

Trinity smiled nervously. With Neo she wasn't as afraid to have the baby and, at times, excitement even poked through. But seeing the baby would make it real. "Okay."

"Do you want to go now?"

Trinity paused, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

They walked together towards the infirmary. Neo caught Tank's eye and nodded. Tank abandoned Christala's training, trusting Mouse to watch over her. Tank arrived in the infirmary to find Trinity sitting on the table with Neo standing in front of her. They were talking softly but both looked up when Tank entered.

Tank smiled at the couple. "Are you guys ready to see the baby?" Trinity nodded and Neo just grinned. "Trinity, you need to lay down and lift up your shirt." Trinity raised an eyebrow at Tank. "Just over your stomach," he explained.

Trinity obeyed and Tank squeezed some gel onto her stomach. They had an ultrasound machine on board in case of internal injuries such as broken bones. But it worked for this purpose too. A picture appeared on the screen, a thumping filled the room and Tank smiled. "There you go. The baby looks healthy. It's still too early to find out if it's a boy or a girl."

"That's okay," Trinity answered, surprising herself. "I'd rather be surprised."

Neo beamed and bent his head, kissing her gently. "Our baby."

Trinity nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. "How far along am I?"

Tank surveyed the screen for second. "It looks like about 10 weeks. So six and a half months left. When are you going to tell Morpheus?"

"Today," Neo answered. "We just wanted to know for sure when Trin was due before we told him."

Tank nodded and printed out a picture of the ultrasound for Trinity and Neo to keep. When he left, Neo smiled at his girlfriend. "Wow," he said softly.

"I know," Trinity agreed. Her hand slid down to rest over her stomach. "We're really doing this. We're really having a baby."

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Not as sick," Trinity answered. "I think that the morning sickness is going away."

"You know that's not what I meant," Neo chided.

Trinity sighed and shifted so she was sitting up. Neo stepped up so he straddled her legs and ran his hands down her arms. "When I'm with you, just you, sometimes I almost think that we can do this. That I can do this. But when I'm alone, I start thinking of all the things that can go wrong...things that I'll do wrong...I don't think I meant to be a mother," she finished softly, ashamed.

"Why do you think that?" Neo asked. Being with Trinity, he'd learned that simple reassurances often didn't work with her, she was too smart.

Trinity stared at Neo, surprised that he hadn't figured it out. "Well for one thing, we're at war."

"That doesn't have anything to do with your ability as a mother though, and you know it."

Trinity sighed and looked down, unable to meet his brown eyes knowing the disappointment she'd see there. "I'm not exactly the maternal type," she finally said, softly so he could hardly hear her. "I mean, I'm a soldier! I've never been around kids much, I don't know anything about raising one! What if I'm not warm enough? What if I can't love him enough?"

Neo stared at the love of his life, shocked. "Trinity, how can you even wonder about those things? Of course you'll be warm enough."

"Look, I know that I build walls and don't let people in...I don't want our baby to suffer because of it."

"And she won't," Neo assured Trinity gently, pulling her into his arms. "You let me in, didn't you? Maybe you don't wear your emotions on your sleeve but when someone's important to you, you do let them in. And I know that you'll be a wonderful mother."

"How? How do you know?" Trinity looked up and Neo saw an unaccustomed fear in her eyes. As a rebel, a fighter, as a lover, Trinity was sure of herself. But as a mother...she just wasn't.

"I know because I know you," Neo whispered. "And because you're worried about it. If you didn't care, you wouldn't worry. And I'll be here to help in every way I can."

Trinity smiled slightly. She trusted Neo, more than anyone. And if he thought she could do it, maybe she could.

"Now, are you ready to tell Morpheus?" Neo asked with a smile.

Trinity nodded. They left the infirmary together, holding hands as they walked. They found Morpheus watching the last of Christala's training for the day.

"Morpheus?" Trinity asked. "Can we speak with you?"

Morpheus nodded. "Mouse, will you make sure Tala gets to her room alright?"

"Of course," Mouse answered.

Morpheus followed the couple to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. "Yes?"

Neo squeezed Trinity's hand and she smiled nervously. "I'm pregnant," she said, unable to find a more delicate way to phrase it.

Morpheus gave Trinity a long look and she suddenly remembered the times in childhood when Morpheus would come back to Zion only to find that she'd gotten into some kind of trouble in his absence. "Are you certain?" he asked after several seconds.

Neo nodded. "Tank just did an ultrasound."

Morpheus sighed. "Congratulations then. I wish I could sound more excited and if there wasn't the war, I would be. This could bring some complications. I'll have to alert the Council," Morpheus said the name as if it was a swear. "And we'll have to go back to Zion."

Trinity nodded and fought to keep tears out of her eyes. She knew it wasn't the ideal time for her to be pregnant, but she'd at least wanted Morpheus to be happy for them. "Yes, sir," she said softly.

Morpheus nodded and a smile flirted with his lips. "How far along are you?"

"Ten weeks," Neo's hand wrapped around Trinity's waist and rested protectively over her stomach.

"And the baby's healthy?"

"Both of us are perfectly healthy," Trinity said, her hand covering Neo's.

Morpheus nodded. "You two should take the rest of the afternoon off. Trinity needs rest."

Neo nodded. "Thank you."

Morpheus turned and walked away. As he did, Trinity turned and buried her face in Neo's chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Neo stroked her back gently and felt her tears on his shirt.

"Why can't he stop thinking like a captain for just two minutes and be happy for us?" Trinity whispered sadly.

"He will," Neo assured her. "We just kind of sprung it on him."

"He's been like a father to me ever since I was unplugged and now..." Trinity trailed off and Neo kissed the top of her head gently.

"He will be happy for us honey. Just give him time. Plus, he watched you grow up, he's probably not thrilled that I got you pregnant."

Morpheus was almost at the end of the hall before he turned back to the couple. Trinity had turned into Neo's arms and he was stroking her back, apparently comforting her. "There's one more thing," Morpheus called. Neo looked up and Trinity turned her head. "You two will make wonderful parents," he said with a smile.

Back in the Core, Tank unplugged Christala from the computers. She was exhausted, more so than she'd ever been in her life. When the chair lowered her and she tried to stand, her knees buckled. Mouse caught her and lifted her into his arms, surprised at how light she was.

"I'm okay," she objected weakly.

"I know," Mouse said with a smile. "But I've got you. Just relax."

"Promise you won't drop me?"

Mouse laughed. "I promise." He carried Christala to her bedroom and laid her on the cot. She immediately curled into a ball and Mouse pulled her blankets around her, knowing full well how cold the ship could get. He watched for a moment before tiptoeing out of her room.

He went to the kitchen and prepared a bowl of goop and a cup of water for her. When he arrived back at the room though, he stopped at the door and leaned in slightly. He could hear the sound of crying coming from inside.

Mouse crept quietly into the room and found Christala laying on the cot in the same position he'd left her, shoulders shaking as she sobbed. He set the tray down and sat on the edge of the cot. "Hey," he whispered gently. "What's wrong, Tala?"

Christala sniffed. "Nothing, go away."

Mouse would have left but he remembered how alone and scared he'd felt when he was first freed. "Come on, talk to me," he encouraged.

"It's stupid," Christala said softly. "You'll think I'm stupid."

"No I won't," Mouse assured her.

Christala sighed and rolled over. "Before I was unplugged, I had this teddy bear. I slept with him every night. He was the only thing I had that my mother had given me. I just...I miss him," she finished softly.

Mouse felt his heart jerk. It was such a little thing, but he knew how she felt. He gathered Christala gently into his arms and cuddled her there. "I know how you feel," he said with a sad smile. "Before I was freed, I had a dog named Buster. He was my best friend. I still miss him sometimes."

"It's just...everything was a lie. My whole life. It wasn't a great life, but I was used to it. Now everything's different. I'm scared," she finally confessed.

Mouse tightened his grip slightly. "I know. That's okay though, it's normal. And I'm here if you need anything, Tala."

Christala nodded. "Thanks. I feel like everyone hates me here."

"They don't hate you," Mouse assured her. "They don't know you. Just give them a chance, they're honestly not that bad. Before you know it, they'll be family."

Christala reached up and kissed his cheek gently. "Thank you for being so great to me."

Mouse blushed. "It's nothing, really. I brought you something to eat, in case you're hungry."

Christala nodded and thanked Mouse again. She moved out of his arms and picked up the tray, placing it on her lap. "What was your life like?" she asked. "I mean, before you were unplugged?"

Mouse smiled and sat on the floor across from her. "Well, I was unplugged when I was 15. Inside, my parents were divorced when I was 8 and I lived with my mom. My dad never came around. I had two older brothers and a younger one. They were all really into sports. I wasn't, I was the skinny nerd who got beat up." He smirked. "At least until the jocks realized that I could hack into the school's attendance and grade records and change theirs. I made some good money doing that."

Christala laughed. "You charged people to change their grades for them?"

"Hey, it's a very profitable business. Especially when you had athletes as stupid and rich as ours. I started hacking into the FBI and CIA's private info when I was 14 and Morpheus found me not long after. So he unplugged me and I spent the next three years in Zion at the Academy."

"What's the Academy?" Christala asked as she took a drink of water.

"It's like a school. All of the kids in Zion go to the Zion School for Learning, but only those who want to be on a ship get into the Academy. It was the proudest day of my life when I got in."

"Am I going to go there?"

"Nope. At least I don't think so. See, Matrix borns usually do their training at the Academy. But Morpheus started you here, so I bet you'll get to stay on the ship."

Christala smiled. "Good. I don't want to be all alone in some city where I don't know anyone." She pushed the tray away and drew her knees to her chest.

Mouse reached out and rubbed a hand up and down her calf. "Do you want to tell me about your life before? Sometimes it helps."

Christala paused, biting her lower lip, which Mouse thought was adorable. "Okay. I guess. I don't know my parents. My mom left me at a church when I was born. She left the teddy bear with me. I grew up in foster homes. One of the other kids at one home, when I was about 10, taught me how to hack. That was the only thing that was consistent at every house after that. I guess I did okay at school. I didn't have many friends, since I change schools every few months. I liked English classes the most. I tried to take computer classes, but they were all really easy and I just ended up getting in trouble. When Morpheus found me, I was at an awful home. The so-called parents were never there, they didn't really care what I did. They fought all the time and after a couple fights, I learned not to get in the middle. I don't miss it...I just miss knowing what to expect. It never felt quite real, but now I don't know anything."

Mouse smiled in sympathy. "You'll get used to it, Tala. I promise." He stood up and pulled Christala to her feet. "Now you should get some sleep. Training is hard work."

Tala smiled shyly. "Thanks for listening to me."

"Anytime," Mouse promised as he gathered her tray and dishes and walked to the door. "I'll take care of these."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Christala asked hopefully.

"You can count on it."

Christala walked over to the door and stood in front of him. Without giving herself more time to lose her nerve, Christala rose on her toes and brushed her lips gently over his. Mouse brought one hand up to cup her cheek and when they pulled away, he grinned. Tala was blushing but looked happy. He kissed her forehead and whispered. "Sleep tight."

"You too," Tala answered. Mouse left and closed the door behind him, grinning broadly.

Christala stared at the door for a moment, wondering why she'd felt compelled to kiss him. She didn't know why, she just knew that if felt right. As she laid down on her cot and exhaustion overcame her, a smile bloomed on her face and she drifted into sleep.