A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE (ok, well, important ish) Ok, so we can't add authors notes as separate chappies, so I'm gonna put it here. I appear to be suffering from major writers block right now, at least with this story, so I may not be posting for a while. It is not abandoned. Promise. And hopefully I'll be putting up some other stuff soon, so look out for that. Note that Sure As Hell is also not abandoned, but I'm waiting till after I've finished this one to sort out the story line.

Thanks,

DB xxx

Conclusions

Title: Conclusions.

Author: Da Buffster

Rating: I'm gonna go PG13 just in case.

Summary: I didn't jump, I took a tiny step and there conclusions were. It hurts. Could Neo ever end it with Trinity?

Timeline: I'm guessing set between Matrix and Reloaded, as between Reloaded and Revo Neo's in a coma and as far as I'm aware either Trinity and/or Neo are dead by the end of Revo. It's a logical conclusion.

Disclaimer: I'm neither a Warner Brother or a Wachowski Brother, in fact, I'm not a brother, and the one I do have annoys the hell outta me. So no, I don't own them. But if anybody has any ideas on how to steal Neo, email me.

Authors Note: Just so you guys know, I would never split Trinity and Neo up, They're too sweet together, so no flames over that. Also, sorry if it's little OOC, it's my first Matrix fic, and I'm not very good at fanfiction. Also, I haven't seen Revo yet, so forgive me for any mistakes. Also, I'm not a mechanic or a hacker or even anything special, I'm just me. So feel free to correct any mistakes in those areas, just so long as I'm alive and smiling by the end of it. Now let's get on with the damn story.

The Nebuchudnezzer gets the afternoon off.

"Damn it Neo, how do you get hurt so often?" Trix was cleaning the small wound on Neo's hand after yet another wire had short- circuited.

"The ship has a problem with my being the One and it being the ship?"

"Interesting. I never thought ships had feelings, but, yet again, I am proved wrong. Did the wisdom come with the One-ness, or were you just born with it?"

"Oh, I was definitely born with it" Neo replied, chuckling.

"Ok, your good, now go get lost before the ship decides it wants you dead."

Neo laughed and left the med lab. He wondered down the plain, metallic walls to the core, where Trinity and Latch were laughing at something. As they continued talking, Neo crept up behind Trinity and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. Trinity gently pushed him away so she could see his face.

"Did I get your attention?"

"You got it." Neo grinned. Behind her, Neo could see Latch giving him an evil look before wondering over to Link. Trinity never noticed a thing.

"So how's your hand?"

"Fine, it'll be as good as new in a day or two."

"I swear this ship has it in for you."

Neo laughed, "Yeah, Trix mentioned something about that too. So how come everybody's hanging around here? I thought we had work."

"Well, after you'd gone, we fixed that little problem in the engine room, and now the ship is fine, no reason to go into the matrix until later to check everything's still working and there's no sentinels. Which is why we have the afternoon off."

Neo grinned seductively at her, "The whole afternoon? Now I wonder, what will we get up to during that long time?"

"I have a few ideas" Trinity took his hand and led them down to the room they shared.

Latch watched the two retreating backs with anger. How could they just lounge around, making out whenever they wanted, rubbing it in everybody's faces how they got to live together and everybody else had to leave their partners behind for months on end?

"Don't try and figure it out, man. Just leave 'em be and you might not get things thrown at you." Links words cut Latch out of his thoughts.

"You've had stuff thrown at you?"

"Yeah, they were having this massive argument and I tried to break it up. Things were thrown."

"No way. I didn't even realise they could fight. They hate to see the other hurt."

"They do, but stuff got intense Morpheus had separated them a week when they were caught making out on the job, tension built up until the slightest thing made 'em blow. I think it was something about Neo not holding his spoon right. It led to stuff about not ordering the other around and that."

"I'm guessing they made up?"

"Yeah, broke Morpheus' separation rules, but I've gotta say, it was quieter than them shouting the whole time. Mostly."

"Nice" Latch left Link to his watch, and wondered randomly around the ship. It wasn't fair. How come Neo got a woman as good as Trinity, and most people didn't get anyone in this world? He wanted Trinity more than he let on. In truth, he was so jealous of Neo that at times, he just wanted to kill the guy. With a long torturing session first (A/N: Sounds fun, doesn't it). He was so busy wondering around randomly and thinking, he nearly bumped into Niobe, who was staying on the ship whilst the Logos was fixed up after a sentinel attack. Most people would take the time to relax in Zion, but Niobe had decided to fill in a crewmembers place on the Neb whilst they continued their search for a new crew.

"Shit, Latch, watch where you're going, you scared the hell outta me."

"Sorry, you going anywhere special, like somewhere with work and less thoughts?"

"You ok?"

"Yeah, just a little pissed of, it's no big."

"Well, if it helps, I was going to go talk to Morpheus. He was saying something about this kid he wanted to unplug."

"I guess it's a captain's talk thing then. Great, so everybody's doing stuff 'cept for me." Off Niobe's look, he continued, "Link is on watch, you and Morpheus are talking business, and Trinity and Neo are off doing stuff I really don't want to think about."

"Don't you have about a hundred books in your room waiting to be read. Go read, and- hey, what about Trix?"

"Cleaning up the Med Lab after Neo's latest visit."

"What did he do this time? I'm telling you, that girl really has her work cut out with him."

"Yeah, no I'll go read. Call me if anything happens." Niobe nodded and he headed off to his room.

***

"Hey hey hey, get ready to rock, Niobe's here" Morpheus looked up as Niobe bounced in with a cheery greeting.

"Hey Niobe."

"So why did you need to talk to me?"

"I wanted to talk to you about stuff captain to captain, I've spoken to Neo, Trinity and Link, I just need to talk to Latch now. There's a girl I want to free, calls herself Pudsey."

"Nice name."

"It's something to do with her cousin, big fan of Pudsey before she disappeared."

"Nice, so what's she done?"

"She's one of the best hackers still unplugged in America. We need to build up our forces and I think she would be a good recruit. She knows a lot already, been searching for me for months now."

"How old is she?"

"Fourteen. I was going to send Neo in this afternoon to establish first contact. Then we can free her sometime in the next week, hopefully."

"Do the agents know anything?"

"As far as we're aware, they're clueless about her."

"Good, so what's this kid like?"

"Lonely. She lives alone in a flat on 44th street."

"Family"

"Fell out with them early on. They abused her, her cousin was like a lifeline, when she disappeared, and Pudsey ran away. Lived on the streets until she managed to get a job and enough money to get her own flat. Then she went back to school, did her job and carried on searching for her cousin, which is how she found us. Her cousin was a hacker."

"Ouch, so how old was she when she ran away?"

"Nine. She's been living alone for four years now. School don't know a thing."

"Anybody else know?"

"We don't think so, she has a few friends at school, but she never goes to their houses or what-not. Not a real people person."

Then a thought struck Niobe "So, this cousin if she's a hacker and she's disappeared…"

"Yeah, she was freed. She's in Zion, I was going to alert her of Pudsey if she takes the red pill."

"What's her name?"

"Unicorn, you know her?"

"Know her? Hell yeah! She's Pudsey's cousin? She's a fan of Pudsey?"

"Yes."

"Do you mind if I contact her now? She'd hate to find out after Pudsey's been released."

"Are you sure? If Pudsey takes the blue pill, won't she be upset?"

"Know, plus if Pudsey finds out that Unicorn's here, I think she'll almost definitely take the red pill."

"Ok, I trust you know what ship she's on?"

"The Victress sir."

"Good, I'll leave you too it." Niobe nodded and ran to the communications console where she typed in the code for the Victress. She got a reply almost immediately.

"This is the Victress captain." The voice crackled through the speakers.

"This is Niobe of the Logos aboard the Nebuchudnezzer, may I speak to Unicorn, sir?"

"Yes." There was a noise at the other end before Unicorn's voice came through.

"Niobe? Hey, you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yeah, Unicorn, were you ever a fan of Pudsey bear?"

There was a laugh on the other end of the line, "How did you find that one out?"

"You know your cousin, the one abused by her family, we were going to free her, making first contact later today. Going by the name Pudsey."

"You're joking! Oh my God, Hanna, is she ok?"

"Hanna's her name? Nice. Yeah she's fine, ran away when you disappeared. She's living in a flat on 44th street."

"She ran away when she was nine? Oh God, I knew I shoulda taken the blue pill."

"What d'you mean? I thought you liked being free. Which, I might add, I'm fairly certain has something to do with Bullet."

"I do like being free, which has nothing to do with Bullet thank you very much! But if I had stayed, then she wouldn't have had to be alone for so long. I was her life line and I left her."

"Hey, Corn, this has nothing to do with you. If you ask me, it's for the better. She got away from her family. And she's more independent now."

"And more alone. I mean, she can't of gotten a flat at nine, how long was she on the streets for?"

"I don't know. Until she could get a job. Only a year I think."

"God, a year with no food, no home. At least her family feed her, however evil they were."

"What did they do to her?"

"Whenever she did something wrong they hit her. Whenever she had a detention or said the wrong thing. She used to swear all the time." Unicorn chuckled at the memory, "But it just got her into more trouble."

"So she'll fit in fine here then. Ain't gonna get in no trouble for swearing in this world."

"I know, but it did then, whenever she put one foot outta line, she was dust. I mean, God, she was three when this started Ni, three. How the hell was she supposed to survive on her own, all she ever knew was madness?"

"Corn, listen to me, she's fine."

"I hope your right Ni, I really do."

"Hey, wait here a minute, I'm gonna go get Trin. If she's not busy that is."

"You mean with Neo, jeez, do those two ever stop?"

Niobe laughed, "See you in a sec." Then she got up and carefully made her way down to the crew's quarters.

***

Neo and Trinity were sat on the bed, kissing. It struck Neo that it hadn't travelled any further than kissing, which it normally did, but pushed the thought away. Trinity's lips felt warm on his own, at least, until they pulled away.

"Trin, what's wrong?" He whispered, immediately thinking he'd done something wrong.

"Shhh, someone's coming"

"So, they can't hear us"

"They're coming here, shut up." Trinity couldn't help but let out a giggle as he frowned at her giving him orders. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Trinity, you decent?" Niobe's voice carried through from the other side. Quickly, Trinity unwrapped herself from Neo, so they at least looked half decent.

"Um, yeah." Niobe came into the room once she was certain that Neo and Trinity were not in some position that could easily become embarrassing, as it had done many times for Link and Morpheus when they made the mistake of not knocking.

"I'm talking to Unicorn, but before you go rushing off, you have to hear this." Trinity nodded for her to continue, "You know this girl, Pudsey, well she's 'Corn's cousin, and it turns out she's called Pudsey because, before she ran away, Unicorn had been this girls lifeline when her parents abused her. She called herself Pudsey when Unicorn disappeared, because Unicorn had an obsession with Pudsey Bear, from that British Children in Need thing!" Trinity burst out laughing at that news. She was having difficulty imagining Unicorn ever being a fan of a cuddly toy however crazy she was.

"Is she still there, I have to talk to her!"

"Yup, I just came to get you." Trinity kissed Neo before running off to the communications console. Neo just sat there, staring at the two girls retreating backs. He had heard a lot about the friendship between Unicorn, Niobe and Trinity, how Trinity allowed herself to laugh and show a few emotions in front of them, not all, but some. The other emotions were saved for Neo alone, sadness, pain, happiness and love all showed when Trinity was with Neo, but when Trinity, Niobe and Unicorn were together, she allowed herself to relax, have fun, laugh. It made Neo smile.

***

Trinity ran into the chair, causing it to slide across the room, she pulled herself so she was facing the console again and spoke.

"Pudsey hey? Nice. I never figured you for a teddy bear lover 'Corn"

"Great, so you've been told. And yes, Pudsey rocks."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Trin, if you hadn't worked out by now that I'm crazy, something is seriously wrong."

"However true that is, you ain't exactly teddy bear type"

"What can I say, Hanna brought out the craziness, and it's her fault I got into him anyway. She bought me a toy version of him for Christmas once, it stemmed from there."

"And the teddy bear side of Unicorn is revealed, honestly 'Corn, what else are you hiding?"

"Nothing" Unicorn replied slyly. Trinity knew something was up.

"'Corn, what don't we know? Is it Bullet, have you two finally stopped messing around and gotten together?"

"No!!! Maybe. I don't know. He keeps hinting at me but I don't know if we should. We're both soldiers, both work on the same ship, it would get in the way wouldn't it?"

"Believe me 'Corn, it will not get in the way. And, in this world, it's a good thing if you're both on the same ship. Otherwise, when are you gonna see each other? Never. So stop messing around and get on with it!"

"Yeah, so how's you and Neo, I heard there was some action earlier?"

"Stop changing the subject! Just walk up to him and kiss him. It'll work. Either that or have him killed and bring him back to life by kissing him whilst sentinels attack the ship. Your choice."

"Maybe I should just kiss him. What if he doesn't like me? He'll think I'm a freak and it'll ruin our friendship." Niobe and Trinity shared a knowing look. Their friend wasn't as serious as Trinity, and liked to have a good time, but when there was something to worry about, she worried. A lot.

"'Corn, Bullet likes you, a lot, he told me himself. So go kiss him dammit!"

"Ok, but if it goes wrong, I'm blaming you two."

"Hey, I had nothing to do with this, I'm just here for moral support" Niobe defended her innocence.

"Whatever, I'll see you guys. Are you gonna be at the party in Zion?"

"That's months away 'Corn."

"So, a chance to party is always a big deal in Zion"

"I don't know, we might. We have to drop Niobe off when her ships repaired and we might stay a little longer."

"'K, see ya!"

"Have fun." Trinity said with a grin, she knew Bullet and Unicorn would be busy for a long time now.