CHAPTER THREE

'Trin?'

Neo called out through the ship, fear clenching his stomach. Where was she? Was she hurt? Asleep? Had something happened to her? He had to find her; he had to. His head throbbed and ached. If something has happened her...he thought...I don't know what I'll do.

And he heard her. A muffled voice, faint and faraway, almost blurred in tone. He pricked his ear. 'Trinity!' he bellowed. 'Where are you?'

'I'm in here,' her voice called out weakly, and then he turned and saw her perched on her bed. Crumpled tissues lay, discarded, around her. Her face was red and swollen. She'd been crying.

'What is it, Trin?' he cried, gathering her into his arms and holding her against his chest. He rocked her back and forth, murmuring. 'What is it, baby?'

Trinity sniffled, and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Neo was petrified. He'd never seen Trinity cry before; it was a new sensation, and he knew something must be terribly wrong for her to let her emotions out so openly. The sight and sound of her crying was so surreal to him that he felt a fierce surge of love for her, and a fierce desire to do everything within his power to comfort and protect her from whatever evil she was faced with.

'I'll look after you, baby,' he said. 'Shush, don't cry, Trin.' He stroked her silky brown hair. 'It's okay.' He was so used to being the protected one, the comforted one, that the role reversal was quite unnerving.

'I don't want to lose you,' she said.

He grabbed her in an even tighter hug than before. 'Trin,' he said, 'you won't ever lose me.' He felt a sense of de ja vu; they'd shared these words at Zion, only it had been he who had been worried about losing Trinity. 'I love you.'

She sniffled again, and a new tear fell down her face. 'You won't, though, now.'

'Why not?'

She hung her head, and then looked up at him again, silent tears still streaming down her cheeks. 'I...um...have something to tell you,' she said.

'What?' He asked, a fresh wave of panic washing over him. 'What is it?' He could not think of what could possibly be wrong. 'Tell me, Trin, please, tell me!'

'Well...I...'

At that moment, the door swung open, and the two swivelled around to face it. It was Niobe.

'Oh, there you are, Trinity, Morpheus has been looking everywhere for you!' Niobe grinned. 'We thought we'd lost you for a minute there.'

Neo eyed Trinity. She hung her head again.

'Can I see both of you for a minute, please? We have to discuss plans. There's some new information that's gonna change things quite a bit.'

'Not more,' Neo heard Trinity mutter.

'Sure, Niobe,' Neo said, clasping Trinity's hand in his. 'We're coming, Niobe. Just a minute.'

Sighing, the two followed Niobe into the main area of the ship.

'Tell me later,' Neo said.