"Trinity?" He asked softly. She was still staring straight ahead from the
bed, eyes cold, emotionless. He knew that she was scared, but didn't know
why and yet still she wouldn't show it. He sighed running a hand through
his dark hair, it was greasy and he wanted to know if hers was too but
there was a wall around her, shutting him out. She stayed quiet; a tear
made it's slow way down her cheek.
"Neo?" She whispered, as if not daring to believe it. With still blank eyes she sought his face.
"I'm here." His words were no louder than hers but they were enough, her eyes snapping to his. He held the gaze; his eyes filled with all he wanted to say and do to help her. She sniffed, slumping her shoulders and raising a hand to her face, covering her eyes. Her shell had been broken, and she felt more alone and more vulnerable than she ever had. Slipping softly from the chair, Neo placed his hand on hers, the other tilting her chin up so she met his gaze. She crumbled onto the floor with him, taking comfort in his strong arms around her, his breath on her skin, his nearness. Tears ran rivers down her cheeks, soaking into his shirt as he held her. There had been tears before that they had shared, but they had been tears of joy at both seeing each other again. Somehow they had not died, being made whole and new again before being returned to Zion with the damaged Logos. Sobs racked her body even though she did her best to contain them He ran fingers through her hair softly, whispering nothings to her as many a parent does with a child awoken by their worst nightmare. He had never seen Trinity cry like this before, tears that he couldn't stop. And they frightened him.
"Hush, its okay, I got you now, I'm not leaving,'' It didn't matter that the words were nonsense, it was the sound that she craved, and he knew it. He sat there the best part of the night, holding her close. When she was finally quiet again he asked her the inevitable question.
''What happened Trin?'' He expected her to start crying again, but instead she pulled herself away from him and looked him right in the eye. He knew then that she was going to tell him and that it was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Her eyes dropped to her lap, his hands still holding hers. She withdrew from the contact, shift just out of range; he frowned but waited in silence. She told him in cold and exact detail everything that had occurred as though it were burned into her mind.
"And that's it." She shrugged, finishing, strangely not going back into his arms. He felt the rage extinguish itself when she made no move to him. He knew that Gunther would have been dealt with and so he would have a quiet word with him when he could. Right now, Trinity was all that mattered to him.
"Trin, there's something else, isn't there?" He asked, almost wishing he didn't as he saw her tense up again, knowing then that he had been right. There was a wound that ran deeper than she had let anyone see. There was another reason for the tears. She looked him square in the eye and said something that he was shocked to hear. Four short words that meant more to him than he could explain.
''My cousin raped me.'' Looking into her steel eyes then, his heart broke, seeing the pain she still carried with her. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he settled for the obvious.
''Once?''
''No.'' She said evenly. He wanted to swear, which he did, wanted to comfort her, which he was trying to do, wanted to hold her, but he couldn't. There was a silence before she dropped her eyes and continued, more talking to herself than to him.
"I know now that it wasn't real. But I know that the bullets aren't real and I know that when I fall I don't really fall. But it still hurts, still makes me bleed sometimes. It's one of those things I've lived with for so long I guess I'm used to it now."
"What?"
"The Matrix."
"It cannot tell you who you are."
"It can tell you who you were." She countered.
"Who were you?"
"A stupid, weak, pathetic little girl who thought it happened to everyone."
"Trin."
"No Neo, let me finish." He nodded, sternly keeping himself in check. "He was welcome at our house, he lived locally and he had the sweetest smiles for those who needed to believe them I was nothing to him more than a toy I suppose. He made sure there were no visible bruises and he claimed I was his favourite cousin." She paused for a moment. "I learnt if I showed any emotion it made him continue. Hiding them was easy after I discovered someone could answer my question."
"Morpheus."
"I cracked the D-base looking for him. It was because of him that I could deal with it. I had given up fighting by then anyway. I had tried to fight, but he was too strong, too damn strong!'' Her words were filled with self- loathing, the warrior in her never forgave the young girl for weakness, never forgave any weakness. Neo reached out for her. She looked at his hand.
"What can I do?" He asked, feeling her indecision. But he knew the answer.
"Nothing, nothing." She whispered, starting to sniff. He shook his head, shuffling a little closer, taking her fingers in his.
"No, I can't do nothing Trinity. You know that."
"Hold me Neo." He reached around her, feeling her relax into him, exhausted by all that had been said and done.
"I tried." She whispered, pulling away from his body and turned so that he couldn't see the tears that were falling. Neo didn't know what to say. He was sickened to his very core that anyone could do this to a little girl, but he knew that is had hurt her more than she could say, more than he could understand. She went to stand, stumbling because her legs still didn't bear her weight strongly. He caught her before she could hurt herself. Slowly he stood, helping her steady herself, he went to release her but she looked into his dark brown eyes and knew that he was not going to patronise her, as she had feared. Nor would he smother her. She knew that he would just help her when she needed it, and that was all that mattered. A small smile tugged at her tired lips and she tightened her grip on his hands. Standing there, hands intertwined, eyes locked, she felt safe, as she always did when he was around.
"Trin?"
"Let's go to sleep Neo." She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to settle beside her. He did, pulling her in close, stroking her hair, lulling her to sleep. Soon after she had fallen into a deep slumber, Morpheus and Niobe came in. Both captains saw the sleeping warrior and her guardian and smiled slightly. Neo lifted the corners of his lips to assure them all was well and they left silently. The One slept lightly, matching his breathing to hers, knowing that when the morning came it would be better to say nothing of what had happened that night unless she said something about it. He did, however, plan to ask his captain for additional information and advice. But that would all wait until morning when he was sure she was herself again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, prepare to be confused!!!! Want to give ALL of the credit for this rewritten story so far to the Protectress of Dalidon!!! She has been wonderful and will be helping me write the rest of the story hopefully, as long as we have no major fallouts!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
"Neo?" She whispered, as if not daring to believe it. With still blank eyes she sought his face.
"I'm here." His words were no louder than hers but they were enough, her eyes snapping to his. He held the gaze; his eyes filled with all he wanted to say and do to help her. She sniffed, slumping her shoulders and raising a hand to her face, covering her eyes. Her shell had been broken, and she felt more alone and more vulnerable than she ever had. Slipping softly from the chair, Neo placed his hand on hers, the other tilting her chin up so she met his gaze. She crumbled onto the floor with him, taking comfort in his strong arms around her, his breath on her skin, his nearness. Tears ran rivers down her cheeks, soaking into his shirt as he held her. There had been tears before that they had shared, but they had been tears of joy at both seeing each other again. Somehow they had not died, being made whole and new again before being returned to Zion with the damaged Logos. Sobs racked her body even though she did her best to contain them He ran fingers through her hair softly, whispering nothings to her as many a parent does with a child awoken by their worst nightmare. He had never seen Trinity cry like this before, tears that he couldn't stop. And they frightened him.
"Hush, its okay, I got you now, I'm not leaving,'' It didn't matter that the words were nonsense, it was the sound that she craved, and he knew it. He sat there the best part of the night, holding her close. When she was finally quiet again he asked her the inevitable question.
''What happened Trin?'' He expected her to start crying again, but instead she pulled herself away from him and looked him right in the eye. He knew then that she was going to tell him and that it was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Her eyes dropped to her lap, his hands still holding hers. She withdrew from the contact, shift just out of range; he frowned but waited in silence. She told him in cold and exact detail everything that had occurred as though it were burned into her mind.
"And that's it." She shrugged, finishing, strangely not going back into his arms. He felt the rage extinguish itself when she made no move to him. He knew that Gunther would have been dealt with and so he would have a quiet word with him when he could. Right now, Trinity was all that mattered to him.
"Trin, there's something else, isn't there?" He asked, almost wishing he didn't as he saw her tense up again, knowing then that he had been right. There was a wound that ran deeper than she had let anyone see. There was another reason for the tears. She looked him square in the eye and said something that he was shocked to hear. Four short words that meant more to him than he could explain.
''My cousin raped me.'' Looking into her steel eyes then, his heart broke, seeing the pain she still carried with her. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he settled for the obvious.
''Once?''
''No.'' She said evenly. He wanted to swear, which he did, wanted to comfort her, which he was trying to do, wanted to hold her, but he couldn't. There was a silence before she dropped her eyes and continued, more talking to herself than to him.
"I know now that it wasn't real. But I know that the bullets aren't real and I know that when I fall I don't really fall. But it still hurts, still makes me bleed sometimes. It's one of those things I've lived with for so long I guess I'm used to it now."
"What?"
"The Matrix."
"It cannot tell you who you are."
"It can tell you who you were." She countered.
"Who were you?"
"A stupid, weak, pathetic little girl who thought it happened to everyone."
"Trin."
"No Neo, let me finish." He nodded, sternly keeping himself in check. "He was welcome at our house, he lived locally and he had the sweetest smiles for those who needed to believe them I was nothing to him more than a toy I suppose. He made sure there were no visible bruises and he claimed I was his favourite cousin." She paused for a moment. "I learnt if I showed any emotion it made him continue. Hiding them was easy after I discovered someone could answer my question."
"Morpheus."
"I cracked the D-base looking for him. It was because of him that I could deal with it. I had given up fighting by then anyway. I had tried to fight, but he was too strong, too damn strong!'' Her words were filled with self- loathing, the warrior in her never forgave the young girl for weakness, never forgave any weakness. Neo reached out for her. She looked at his hand.
"What can I do?" He asked, feeling her indecision. But he knew the answer.
"Nothing, nothing." She whispered, starting to sniff. He shook his head, shuffling a little closer, taking her fingers in his.
"No, I can't do nothing Trinity. You know that."
"Hold me Neo." He reached around her, feeling her relax into him, exhausted by all that had been said and done.
"I tried." She whispered, pulling away from his body and turned so that he couldn't see the tears that were falling. Neo didn't know what to say. He was sickened to his very core that anyone could do this to a little girl, but he knew that is had hurt her more than she could say, more than he could understand. She went to stand, stumbling because her legs still didn't bear her weight strongly. He caught her before she could hurt herself. Slowly he stood, helping her steady herself, he went to release her but she looked into his dark brown eyes and knew that he was not going to patronise her, as she had feared. Nor would he smother her. She knew that he would just help her when she needed it, and that was all that mattered. A small smile tugged at her tired lips and she tightened her grip on his hands. Standing there, hands intertwined, eyes locked, she felt safe, as she always did when he was around.
"Trin?"
"Let's go to sleep Neo." She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to settle beside her. He did, pulling her in close, stroking her hair, lulling her to sleep. Soon after she had fallen into a deep slumber, Morpheus and Niobe came in. Both captains saw the sleeping warrior and her guardian and smiled slightly. Neo lifted the corners of his lips to assure them all was well and they left silently. The One slept lightly, matching his breathing to hers, knowing that when the morning came it would be better to say nothing of what had happened that night unless she said something about it. He did, however, plan to ask his captain for additional information and advice. But that would all wait until morning when he was sure she was herself again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, prepare to be confused!!!! Want to give ALL of the credit for this rewritten story so far to the Protectress of Dalidon!!! She has been wonderful and will be helping me write the rest of the story hopefully, as long as we have no major fallouts!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!