A/N: Nothing belongs to me, nope. I am neither a Warner Brother, nor a Wachowski Brother, so not a dime is being made from this.
This chapter is Morpheus' POV and thoughts.
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Trinity has always been like a daughter to me. I've practically raised her from the time we freed her. That was why I was both relieved and concerned when she fell for Neo.
Relived because I finally knew she was able to let someone into her life like that.
Concerned because my "little girl" was all grown up. I liked Neo a lot and was convinced that he was the One. I knew he would make a wonderful companion for Trinity … as long as he didn't dare hurt her.
When we went to the Merovingian, I knew Persephone was bothering her. It was hard to tell since Trinity rarely showed emotions, but I could see it. Something about the European woman made Trinity uneasy.
So when Persephone led us from the elevator to the restroom, I was on guard.
"I am so sick and tired of his bullshit. On and on. Pompous prick. A long time ago, when we first came here, it was so different. He was so different. He was like you," she said, glancing at Neo. "I'll give you what you want, but you have to give me something."
Uh-oh.
"What?" Neo asked.
"A kiss."
"Excuse me?" Trinity said, obviously angered beyond belief that anyone would even consider asking that.
"I want you to kiss me as if you were kissing her."
"Why?" Neo asked.
I wondered that myself. Plus, I wanted to make sure Trinity didn't kill her then and there.
"You love her. She loves you. It's all over you both. A long time ago, I knew what that felt like. I want to remember it. I want to sample it. That's all. Just a sample."
"Why don't you sample this instead?" Trinity said, calmly and coolly in that "don't fuck with Trinity" voice that Neo coined. She raised her gun, finger itching to pull the trigger.
"Trinity," I said, hoping she wouldn't be irrational. She put the gun away, but very reluctantly.
It was strange to see Trinity do something like that. I've seen her pull that gun thousands of times, but never because of love. She actually loved Neo so much that it pushed all rational thought from her mind.
"Such emotion over something so small. It's just a kiss," Persephone said.
She was right. It was just a kiss, but I knew it wasn't just a kiss to Trinity or to Neo. This was breaking a sacred vow of theirs. They were truly devoted only to each other and this that going against all that devotion.
"Why should we trust you?" Neo asked.
"If I don't deliver you to the Keymaker, she can kill me," Persephone replied, looking at Trinity.
I could see by the look on Trinity's face that it was a conflict to decide between going along with this plan to save the world, or killing the woman before her.
Neo looked at Trinity for some sort of approval, but she didn't give him an answer. What could she say? Yet, she seemed to say it was the only choice.
"All right," he said, obviously unsettled by the situation.
"But you have to make me believe I am her," Persephone said.
"All right," he repeated, seemingly stoic, but pained with grief.
He leaned in and kissed her. Trinity remained still.
"Terrible. Forget it," Persephone said, sounding irritated.
But not half as irritated as Trinity looked.
"Wait," Neo said, stopping her. "Ok."
He removed his sunglasses and leaned in again and gave her a powerful kiss. It was painful for me to watch, so I can only imagine what was going through Trinity's mind.
I pictured her thinking of all the ways to kill Persephone. I'm sure they were imaginative.
I knew Trinity quite well (though not as well as Neo) and I knew she was torn right now between her sense of duty and her jealousy.
She was a soldier through and through, so the warrior in her said that it was just a kiss and this was important to the mission.
But she was also a woman in love and that woman said that she needed to pry Persephone away from Neo.
And I know he hated it as well. Neo loved Trinity as much as she loved him. He would do anything to keep Trinity out of pain, but this was unavoidable.
They were both sacrificing.
Persephone put her arms around him and he reciprocated.
I could tell how much it was taking for Trinity to keep her composure. I was just hoping she would remain calm.
When the kiss ended, Persephone whispered, "Yes. That's it." She looked at Trinity. "I envy you. But such a thing is not meant to last."
It didn't matter what she said. I knew that Trinity and Neo were meant to last. It was their love that was meant to save humanity. I knew it.
Over time, my little girl became a woman, a soldier, a wife and a mother. It took a lot for her to get to any of these stages, but Neo was with her every step of the way.
I know that Trinity is still bothered by that event. She hates knowing that anyone came between her and Neo. I can't say I blame her, but she's such a strong woman that she's able to overcome those feelings every time they creep up.
As I sit here now, watching Trinity hold her daughter on her first birthday, I realize that everything happened for a reason. All the events we went through made her what she is now: a loving and caring person. It's not always visible; Trinity is still a closed person. But now she has the ability to know she can love others and they can love her back.
It's everything I could have ever hoped for for my daughter.