A/N: Chapter 3 contains some sex, So if you've been ignoring the r rating, hey, that's your problem.
Huge, gigantic thanks to DS for offering all sorts of lovely crit and ideas and encouragement. Massive thanks to Centaur for adding her own ideas and comments and for letting me steal Violas. (You should all go read her story. it is most excellent!) Schnugs to the Hardline in general, 'cause you people rock. ^_^

CH3 begins covering some longer periods of time so, just FYI, they don't do all of this in a week.

This chapter has some rated R material. (5 pages in or so)

Skip it if it isn't your cup of tea. the rest of the chap and most of the fic is pg-13

Chapter the Third
~*~*~

"My god," Niobe breathed as she surveyed the wreckage before her. The Hammer hovered in the middle of the battlefield. Despite the temperature being somewhat regulated, Niobe felt a chill: it was like walking through a graveyard. She'd never much cared for graveyards even in her former life. She remembered going to her grandmother's graveside to see her interred into the ground; it had been the end of November and there was frost on the ground. The cemetery had been utterly silent except for the minister's somber words and her aunt's sniffles. Her mother had remarked how peaceful it had been, but Niobe had found the utter silence and stillness horrible and had bolted back to the car after the flowers were placed on the coffin. This place reminded her of that. She wanted to leave, but they had a mission to accomplish.

The broken fleet ships lay where they'd fallen. The twisted hulk of metal at the entrance of the tunnel was the right size to be the Gnosis. A little further in a few of the ships had survived their crashes only to be torn apart by sentinels. It took Niobe a moment to recognize the Novalis: half the ship was simply gone. A few ships looked as though they'd been gutted by fires, and Niobe couldn't tell which ships they'd been.

"We were at the front of the fleet," Roland began narrating the carnage, "The Hammer is- Was the largest ship. We were going to take the brunt of the attack. The Brahma was just behind us when the Cauduceus' EMP blew. The Icarus, Novalis, Manticore, Cerebus, and Ramases went down in the blast. The Manticore blew when she hit the tunnel wall," Roland pointed to a blackened area of the cave and a pile of wreckage that couldn't possibly have been a ship once. "The Manty's backup generators exploded right after and the Voltaire took a hit. That's when the Squiddies showed up. We got the word to run and we did. The Gregori was right behind us, so was the Titan. The squids killed the Titan and attacked the Gregori. Last thing was saw of the fleet was the Gregori crashing into the ground as the squids ripped off her hovers." Roland shook his head sadly. The survivors were silent for a moment, remembering and mourning friends lost.

"Where did you find the Caduceus?" Morpheus asked. Roland gestured to the far side of the cavern.

"Over there. It was ripped in half, but we found Bane under a console. Everyone else was dead." Roland's voice was hard. He'd been told the truth about Smith and Bane and after a week of mulling it over had come to terms with it. He remembered Smith from the Matrix runs as the most tenacious agent and could accept that the agent had taken over the human. Bane had, in his opinion, been a dumb-fuck, but he hadn't deserved that fate.

The truth had stunned every pod-born survivor. Being taken over by an agent was something that happened to people still plugged in, or them in their worst nightmares - not in real life. But, at the same time, they were all glad Bane hadn't been another Cypher.

"Let's set down over there," Roland suggested, pointing to a clear area. Niobe nodded and guided the ship in to land.

The crews were being aided by members of the APU corps, about twenty people in all. It made for rather cramped quarters in the Hammer's decks, but this was a short trip and they wouldn't have to endure it for long. The lone APU unit Lock had insisted go with them, clanked out of the lift and the operator scanned the area, looking for any machine activity. The other humans fanned out, surveying the wreckage.

Roland, Neo and Trinity were carefully picking over the wreckage near the Novalis. Trinity and Roland were discussing the best way to cut the ship lose from the piping which had crumpled over part of the ship upon impact, when Neo exclaimed "Shit!"

"What?" Roland asked, looking over at the still man. Neo was staring down at a large piece of metal.

"There's a squid under there," he said, pointing.

"You can tell?" Roland asked.

"Yes. I can see it. It's orange and not moving."

"Shit," Roland echoed and called the other humans over. Morpheus and Link slid down the piping after Ghost and Niobe, the rest of the crew close by.

"We got a live squid trapped under there."

"How do you know that?" Niobe asked. Roland jerked a thumb at Neo.

"He's the One."

Link hefted his plasma cutter "This thing can work just as well as a rifle. Or do you want me to call Loki over with the APU?

"We can't kill it," Neo said.

"Why not, it's a squid," Link asked.

"If we kill, it could start the war again," Morpheus said. The humans looked at one another and took an unconscious step back from the trapped machine as if to distance themselves from the idea of restarting the war.

"Leave it then." Roland said.

"No, we should free it and let it go back," Niobe said. Leaving it could be just as bad as killing it. Roland looked at Morpheus who was nodding agreement with Niobe. He sighed and had AK head back over to Loki with a message to hold his fire.

"If it doesn't know the war is over we are dead. Link, you hold that cutter. The rest of us are going to move this piece of scrap," Roland directed. The humans nodded and moved around the metal, gaining a grip. Link took a few steps back to get a clear shot.

"Count of three," Roland commanded. "One. Two. Three!" The humans lifted and shoved, sending the piece of scrap off to one side. Link tensed on the cutter controls but the machine didn't leap out of the hole. Neo stepped forward and then crouched down beside ditch.

"It's still alive but I think it's low on power. Link, give me the power pack off that cutter," he said.

"Wait, what?"

"Give me that power pack. I am going to give it a recharge," Neo explained calmly. Link looked back at him in shock.

"Give it to me." Neo commanded and Link moved to comply.

"Hold on," Roland stopped the operator.

"Neo what the Hell do you think you are doing?" the Captain demanded. Neo looked at the dull glow of the downed squid and then over at Trinity before looking back at Roland.

"We were practically dead and they brought us back. We need to do the same for them," Neo explained very evenly. He was looking at Trinity again. "I owe them. Link?"

"Right." Link powered down the cutter and tossed the unit to Neo. He caught it easily and then stepped into the depression next to the Squid. One of its manipulators was gone and it had a dent in its casing, but he could still see the spark of orange deep in its core. Neo grabbed one side of it and shifted the machine over, exposing more of its underbelly. The humans around him tensed, but the squid did nothing. Neo found the port he was looking for and plugged the power unit's connection points to it as best he could. He sat back and wondered how the hell he knew what to do. Trinity stood behind him and offered a hand out of the ditch. He took it and watched as the orange form of the squid grew brighter.

"Is it working?" Niobe asked, unable to see what Neo could. Neo nodded.

"We might want to take a step back, just in case," Morpheus suggested. Most people took three or for steps back. The squid shuddered to life with an electronic whine, ruby eyes luminous once again. Its undamaged limbs twitched and then flexed sinuously before planting their manipulators on the ground to lift its body up. The undamaged legs disconnected the damaged one and the metal fell to the ground with a clank. The machine twisted around, looking at the people surrounding it as another leg extended a communication dish for an instant. The machine retracted the dish and then used that appendage to disconnect the plasma cutter's power source. It held the unit in front of Neo who took it back. The squid then launched itself in the air and sped away.

Roland let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Please tell me you can't see any more of those things?" he asked Neo. Neo looked around but couldn't see any more bright spots of orange. He shook his head. Roland nodded and then turned on the crews.
"Ok people, show's over! Back to work!


Not a single ship had come away unscathed. The ship closest to being intact was the Novalis. They determined she could fly if a few of her pads were given minor repairs and if her remaining generator was given a kick-start every so often. On the other ships, a few hover-pads and some internal computers could be saved as could some of the structural elements of the ships. In the end, they cut off what they could, loaded the Hammer and moved its backup generator to the Novalis. The two ships limped back into Zion almost a day later with their report.

The exhausted crews disembarked as the dock and build crews moved forward to unload the Hammer's bays. Locke strode forward to speak with Niobe, Roland and Morpheus. Trinity however just wanted to take a long bath and sleep, preferably with Neo. Even though she'd been helping the welding crews rebuild the Dock's Command and Control for a week, Morpheus had been reluctant to let her join the salvage team. Trinity felt slightly guilty about not wanting to stay around to help unload the Hammer, but her sides were twinging uncomfortably and she suspected she'd popped a stitch. Neo disembarked and stood next to her. He'd had a rough time navigating the sewers, since he was almost completely unable to see anything. His frustration was tempered a bit by the fact that he'd been able to see the ruined ships and could even discern which pieces were the least damaged. Still, he'd slipped and fallen a few times and had a number of scrapes to show for it.

"Trinity, Neo," Morpheus came over to them while Locke continued to speak with the other captains. "You've done more than enough. Go have yourselves looked over by a medic and then go home and sleep. That's an order." He turned and left before either could protest.

"You're walking stiffly," Neo commented as they made their way home. "Don't think I didn't see you wince when you shoved aside that squid." Trinity continued walking a few steps before she answered.

"I think I popped a stitch or two," she admitted.

"Trinity..."

"I was going to have it looked at," she snapped testily, immediately regretting it. Neo had had a worse time than she had, and he didn't deserve to be snapped at anyway. "I'm sorry," she apologized. Neo sighed.

"I know."

They dropped their things off at their room and silently made their way to the hospital level to endure the medics. After being restitched, bandaged and scolded by the doctors, they headed back home, trying to ignore the looks and occasional follower as they passed. Something was bothering Trinity, Neo decided. He closed the door behind them and sat on the bed, waiting for her to speak. She'd tell him what she was thinking when she was ready. He understood her since he was the same way; something no one else he'd ever been in a relationship had been able to understand. He sighed and toed off his shoes and sprawled on the bed. He heard her boots drop to the floor a few minutes later, the muffled clank drawing him out of a doze. The cushion on the bed dipped as she sat down. He rolled onto his side and watched her. Her elbows were on her knees, shoulders tight and hunched. He moved to sit behind her and hugged her from behind, burying his face in her neck. She relaxed marginally.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." He forgave her again, concerned by her earlier attitude and now by her silence. Before, he wouldn't have asked. But things were different, now.

"Are you ok?"

"No," she admitted with a small, rueful laugh. He moved his hands to her shoulders, thumbs pressing against the knotted muscles he found there. She sighed ever so slightly after a moment and Neo smiled as he felt her relax a little.

"Can I do anything?"

"This is pretty good." She smiled a little over her shoulder at him, relaxing more into his hands. He dropped a light kiss onto exposed skin and continued to massage her back, not minding doing this in the least. Neo was a shoulder and neck man. Oh, he liked breasts just as much as the next guy, but there was something wonderful about the grace and elegance of a woman's neck and shoulders that made him want to touch and taste and compose (really bad) poetry. When they'd first met at that seedy club, she could have had him on the power of her strapless top alone.

A moment passed and he was about to ask her what was wrong when she spoke again. "I miss you." She turned around in his arms and he moved back on the bed so she could sit in his lap. She brushed gentle fingers through his hair before resting her head on his shoulder. "I miss making love with you."

"I know," he said, trying hard to keep the note of need out of his voice, but failing. The last time they'd been together had been the evening of the temple gathering before they had left to go meet with the oracle. It was more than a month since he'd really touched her - all of her.

"I want you, but I've felt so awful. I've been so tired. I want love to you but I can't and it's driving me insane," Trinity told him. "I need you." This was the first time she'd ever said that she needed him, she realized. Usually she choose to show him how much she needed him without words, she wasn't good with them anyway. Trinity felt a little guilty. The last time he had said he'd needed her, she'd run away from the crowd of people seeking Neo's blessing. She had let them unnerve her and she had run away from him instead of staying beside him.

Neo was a little stunned by her admission. He knew she loved him, but was amazed she actually needed him as much as he needed her. He wanted her too, but at the same time the memory of feeling the cold metal biting into her warm flesh was very fresh in his mind. He was reminded of her injury every time he saw he walk a little stiffly or her shoulders hunch in pain.

"I don't want to hurt you." Neo had been terrified of touching her in any way when she'd left surgery. It had taken almost ten minutes for him to even work up the nerve to gently hold her hand in his.

"Not being with you hurts more." He kissed her forehead, her fluttering eye lids, her nose and finally her lips as she turned her face towards his. The chaste kiss was sweet but a little unsure, reminding them both of the first one they'd shared in the silent wake of the EMP blast. Their lips met again as they tried to reconnect, to rebuild and reinforce their bond. Neo's hands found their way under her shirt and rested gently against the bandage there; it was a reminder of what they'd almost lost. They kissed again, now expressing the pure joy of simply being with one another in this certain world instead of the uncertain next one.

He began to lift her shirt away slowly, giving her time to stop him. She didn't, instead leaning into his hands when they found her breasts. Neo paused there for a moment, reacquainting himself with her soft skin. He teased her with the lightest of touches, drawing a tiny moan from her. He abandoned them for a moment while he drew the layers of clothing she was wearing over her head. Static electricity crackled in the air as he tossed her shirt in the general direction of the laundry hamper. Errant locks were alive with energy. He smiled as he brushed a few clinging strands out of her face and behind her ear. She lifted his shirt off and didn't even bother to aim for the hamper, instead concerned only with holding him as close as possible, relishing the feel of his bare chest against her. They kissed languidly, discovering one another again. Trinity's fingertips grazed the skin of his shoulders, circled around the plugs on his upper chest and flicked playfully at his nipples before they trailed down towards his pants.

Her feet, still in their heavy boots, brushed his calves and he stilled her hands. He stood with her then carefully pushed her back down to the bed and removed each boot. She watched him and held out her arms for him to return to her when he was done with the task, but he didn't join her. Instead he began to undo the fastenings of her pants, one closure at a time. When he'd finished he pulled them off with agonizing slowness.

He took a moment to look at her, to learn her new image and reconcile it with his memory. She was a being of living light-blue light with little pricks of gold now. He ran his fingers over her, mapping out every valley and peak he knew so intimately well, and though it was beautiful, wished he could see ivory skin and ebony hair. Neo supposed it was ironically fitting that now she was entirely the shade of her eyes. He undid his own pants much faster than he'd undone hers and joined her on the bed. He half crawled on top of her, his body reacting to hers as though they'd never been parted.

She gasped a little, and it wasn't in pleasure. He froze, knowing he'd hurt her and hating himself utterly for causing her pain. He began to sit up but her gentle hands were suddenly strong, clutching at him. She drew herself up with him and crawled back into his lap.

"Where did I hurt you?" he asked. He needed to know. She shook her head and tried to entice him back down with soft kisses. He repeated his question.

"The ribs," she finally said softly. He was a little heavy and the pressure had peaked into pain suddenly. Neo held her for a moment and Trinity feared he was going to stop this. Instead, he lay back down, this time pulling her on top. She straddled him and leaned down to kiss him. His hands went back to running over her breasts and shoulders as they devoured one another. One hand left its explorations of her upper body and began trailing lower. She gasped when he touched her, and her mouth left his as she panted into his shoulder.

Trinity had been tightly wound in her frustration and Neo could tell she was now coming undone rapidly by the small urgent sounds she was making. He stopped for a moment and caught her lips when she turned to look at him with glazed eyes. He pushed her hips upwards and she went with the motion, taking more of her weight on her forearms. Neo shifted slightly under her and she sank onto him when he urged her back down with gentle pressure. Her voice caught in the back of her throat when they connected and she stilled, waiting for her body to adjust to his. Trinity relaxed into the familiar feeling and began kissing Neo's neck and face, happy to be with him once again.

Then they moved, slowly, finding themselves, then with more confidence. Soon she was making little gasps in his ear and he was certain he was doing the same into hers. She found his hands and they interlaced fingers as they moved against one another. Trinity leveraged off his arms and sat back, changing the angle between them and humming in delight. Neo was transfixed by her as she moved above him. She was brighter, more vibrant then before. She arched suddenly as she came against him, head thrown back in a silent shriek, and in that moment she was a being of pure light, blindingly brilliant. He followed after her, barely registering his own body of light supernova in response to hers.

Trinity came down from her high and slumped against Neo's chest. She waited in a state of euphoria as he returned as well. Her body was vibrant with energy, but she was utterly exhausted. She shifted from around him and reached back for the blanket folded at the foot of the bed. She brought it around them and settled onto his chest, her head tucked under his chin. His arms came up around her shoulders, holding her there. She drifted off to sleep almost immediately, finally feeling complete again. Neo ran his thumbs across the smooth skin of her shoulders and was pleased (and a little smug) when her breathing evened out so quickly. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her like this. Neo yawned, suddenly tired himself and was soon in a deep, restful sleep.

~*~*~

The dark car drew up beside the playground and two identical men in white exited. They searched the crowd of humans in the park and quickly spied their target. They looked at one another and strode across the grass. The little exile was tossing pieces of bread to the programmed ducks. Perhaps this would be easier than the Merovingian had thought.

"Looking for someone, Gentlemen?"

Then again, perhaps not.

"Seraph," One greeted. His brother stalked to one side of Seraph as he stepped to the other.

"The Merovingian would like to meet the new one," Two continued as they circled.

"There have been stories he finds to be most interesting,"

"You, Seraph, are quite welcome at the chateau, of course."

Seraph eyed the ex-ghosts even as he wondered what the Merovingian was up to.

"Hello," Oh, not now, Sati. Not now! Seraph thought as he moved to stand between the girl and the twins: a difficult task as they were circling him like sharks.

"Hello," the twins said in stereo.

"Our boss would very much like to meet you," One said.

"Won't you come visit him?" Two asked. The little girl frowned as she thought it over.

"You work for the Frenchman, don't you?" Sati asked. How did she know that? Seraph wondered. The twins looked mildly surprised as well.

"We do," they said.

"Can Seraph come too?"

"Of course," Two smirked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," One added.

"Ok. But I have to be back later to play with my friends." Sati informed them as she took Seraph's hand. One and Two smiled mockingly at Seraph as they led them towards the limo. One of the Merovingian's werewolves was driving. He looked back at Seraph through the rearview mirror.

"Babysitter now are we?" the program laughed.

"Just drive," One said testily.

The 'were tipped an imaginary ha "Yes, yer lordship," he said in a decent approximation of the twin's accent. The limo drove through the vast city before pulling up in front of the building Merovingian's high-class restaurant was in. The twins got out and led Seraph and Sati through the building and into an elevator. They got off at the restaurant level but the place was silent and empty except for a few of the wait staff setting up tables. The twins led them through the kitchen and two produced a key. One closed the doors to the pantry. Two used the key on the doors and they now opened into the Merovingian's chateau. The twins flanked the door and gestured for Sati and Seraph to precede them. Sati pulled seraph along behind her and the twins snickered. Seraph did his level best to ignore them. Two closed the doors behind them.

"He's in the Western Sitting room." One said.

"I trust you remember where that is?" Two sneered.

"I remember where it is." Seraph bowed to the Twins and led Sati away.

"Ah, Seraph," the Frenchman greeted him with an expansive gesture. The Merovingian stood and sauntered forward. Persephone sat on the other side of the couch in a deep wine red dress with a collar of dyed feathers and fur. She smiled dangerously, always the predator's smile. "And this must be Sati."

"Hello," Sati greeted him with a little curtsey. "You're the Frenchman. My papa said you were the one that helped him bring me here."

"I am indeed," the Merovingian replied. Seraph took a protective step forward, not liking the other exile's tone. He was restrained by four white clad arms. "You stay right where you are Seraph. I am not interested in you today." The Merovingian's eyes never left Sati as he spoke.

"You're a very interesting little girl," the program said as he strolled around the room, "I have heard things. You've been causing Continuity some problems. You've been changing things" the Merovingian trailed off and spun suddenly, fixing his gaze on her. "Why," he demanded.

"I wanted to play with my new friends," Sati shrugged.

"With who?" The Merovingian was actually surprised.

"Well, there's Katie and Tally and Morgan and Stina, well, her name is really Christina but we all call her Stina, and Sharon and-"

"No, no, never mind," the Merovingian stopped the litany with a wave of his hand.

He thought for a moment, a frown creasing his features. "Did you create them?"

"No," Sati shook her head, "They're from the other world, from where Mama and Papa are. They're dreaming here."

This was not the answer the Merovingian had been expecting. She was playing with matrix-born Humans? Preposterous!

"Why are you playing with Humans?" he asked, he couldn't fathom why. The girl shrugged.

"They're fun to play with," She leaned forward conspiratorially, "and I don't think Seraph likes playing with dolls too much."

The twins laughed mockingly in his ear and seraph fought to retain his calm. Irrational behavior now would only harm his charge and himself.

"I think you may be right," The Merovingian agreed. He clasped his hands behind his back and resumes packing back and forth. "So, what do you create when you want to play with your friends?"

"I made a really nice playground. The lady with the clip board didn't like it very much. She wanted to make it go away, but I asked my friends if they wanted to keep it there and they said they liked it, so I kept it. She's not a very happy person."

"And your creations make your friends want to play with you?" Sati frowned, not understanding the question exactly.

"No, we played together before I made the playground."

"But they play with your because of it."

"No," Sati shook her head, "Other kids play there too and I don't know their names yet. Katie's older brother plays there with his friends and they don't play with us. Well, sometimes the try and steal our stuff, but then her Mama yells at him and he leaves us alone."

The program arched an eyebrow. The humans played with her for no reason? She didn't entice them with her creations? Perhaps she made something else which bound them to her will.

"What else do you make?"

Sati tilted her head to one side and cupped her chin, index finger on her cheek as she thought very hard about this question. The Merovingian looked at Seraph with an expression of mixed disbelief and mocking humor. Seraph simply smiled calmly back at him and the Frenchman's face fell into a sneer.

"Well, I help the Oracle make cookies,"

"Non." The Merovingian waved her to silence. "I mean like when you made your playground for your little friends."

"Oh! Hmmm. Well, I made a sunrise. It was for Neo. They don't have a sun in the outside world, so I thought I'd make him something pretty to cheer him up."

"Oui, go on."

"And I made a bunch of flowers for Jenny's mom because she broke her leg, and I made some dolls to play with while we waited for Neo and Trinity to wake up and I made some blocks for Stevie so he'd leave us alone. Oh! And I made the rain stop so I could play outside, and then I made my room yellow because the white color was boring and I made Noir a collar with a little bell on it."

"You put a collar on a color?" his voice was even, brows raised in disbelief.

"No. Noir is my kitty. He's a black cat. Morgan says that black cats are unlucky but I don't believe her."

"You have a 'kitty' named noir?"

"Yes," she replied brightly, "It's French for Black. Isn't it?"

"Oui," he replied.

Seraph was sorely tempted to burst out laughing at the Merovingian's expression. Sati was nothing like he'd been expecting obviously. Persephone looked mildly surprised as well, but then her expressions were always difficult to read: that one played her cards close to her chest. Her husband crossed his arms and seemed to be mulling over a puzzle. Sati ignored him and decided to get a better look at her surroundings.

The little girl spun around, taking in all of the palatial scenery. Persephone smirked as her husband grew more flustered with the little one's non-compliance. The little exile wasn't like them, it was obvious. Persephone could see that even without having a sample to analyze. The child-program walked around the room, examining relics they had collected over the years, many of them from previous versions of the Matrix. She wandered by the tall book cases and past the suit of armor and looked at the da Vinci for a few moments before resuming her circuit of the room. She stopped by the twin swords mounted against black velvet.

"These are yours," she commented, looking back at the Merovingian. He arched a brow but said nothing. The little girl passed the enormous Ming Vase without comment but seemed to be captivated by the Faberge eggs in their Tiffany case.

Persephone set her win goblet down before sitting back regally as the little girl approached her. The child was somewhat unnerving; it was like she knew something Persephone didn't. Obviously she was spending too much time with the fortune teller. The girl stood next to the couch and was at about eye level with Persephone.

"Hello," she said brightly.

"Bonjour," Persephone nodded.

"I think your dress is pretty," Sati said. Her husband sputtered quietly and Persephone arched an eyebrow.

"Merci. It is one of my favorites." She watched as the girl tilted her head to one side then the other. The girl then leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "What was that for?" Persephone asked when she got over her momentary shock. Had the fortune teller sent this demon enfant to infect her with something?

Sati shrugged. "It's a sample." Persephone's lips formed into a small "oh" of surprise.

"I'd like to go back home now, if that's ok with you. I'm supposed to play with my friends soon," she explained in a loud whisper. Persephone looked over the girl's shoulder at her husband. The Merovingian threw up his arms in a gesture of disgust and waved the twins away from Seraph.

"You may," Persephone told the girl. Sati grinned brightly.

"You have pretty things. Maybe we can play dress-up sometime!" the little girl handed her a blood-red rose. Where had she gotten that? "This is for you. It matches your dress." Then the child skipped over to Seraph, took him by the hand and led him from the ballroom. The twins were dismissed by an imperial wave of her husband's hand as he crossed the floor to her.

"Did she do anything to you?" he asked.

Persephone gazed into space for a moment, searching her own code for any changes or foreign programming, but could find none. "No, she didn't." She was actually surprised. Her husband sat down for a moment before rising to his feet again. He paced the length of the couch's back, ranting in French.

"She plays with Humans! HUMANS! And they play with her as willing as she plays with them. She has the power to create and yet she doesn't use it," He sat back down again and plucked the rose from Persephone's hand. He studied it and could find nothing suspicious about it.

"She is not like us," Persephone mused. She took back the rose and studied it herself. It was a lovely creation. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the delicate scent. It was a perfect program. Amazing.

The Merovingian got up again and resumed his pacing. "She is strange. She acts more like, like that damn human savior than one of us!"

"Oui," Persephone replied distractedly.

He stopped his furious stride and crouched next to her side of the couch and drew her attention with a light touch.

"Did she do something to you?" he asked again.

"Non. I was just thinking." Persephone set the rose down on the table net to her goblet. "We should go or we'll be late arriving at the restaurant." He frowned for a moment before shrugging and assisting her to her feet.

~*~*~
The sizzling sound of the new ship's hover pads was met by a cheer as the ship returned from its maiden flight. As the smallest ship, the Logos II was the first of the new ships to be completed. Morpheus smiled as he watched Niobe deftly spin the ship in mid air and settle into its berth on the Dock floor. Lithe and graceful as its predecessor, the new incarnation of the Logos was slightly larger and could accommodate a fourth crewmember and had unplugging capabilities. The fleet couldn't afford to have ships without that ability yet. Soon perhaps, but not now.

"Could it be that things are finally getting back to normal?" Hamann asked the dark and silent man standing next to him. The council, dockworkers, construction teams and remaining crewmembers of the Nebuchadnezzar and Hammer were watching the Logos' first flight. Morpheus smiled but his eyes never left the new hover-ship.

"It could be indeed."

"And the Neb is almost done," Roland said, gesturing to the first of three incomplete ships a little ways off.

"Think we should inform her captain?" Hamann asked, eyes sparkling merrily.

"I think it would probably be best," Councilor Dillard said regally. Hamann chuckled. Morpheus smiled at the ring of councilors and his fellow captain before schooling his features. The crew of the Logos had disembarked and Niobe was grinning broadly. Morpheus could see the white flash of her teeth from even this far away - no doubt her ship had performed well. Link, Neo and Trinity stepped forward to shake hands with the crew, offering congratulations. Niobe accepted them and strode over to Morpheus. He was trying so very hard to school his expression. He'd asked her earlier in the week to play along and she was only too happy to comply.

"She's a beautiful ship," Morpheus commented. Niobe grinned.

"Oh I agree. The Logos was a fantastic ship, but I think I'll like the Two." She winked and raised her voice just a bit to be sure everyone could hear her. "The Nebuchadnezzar will be finished soon. It's a pity you won't be there as captain anymore," Niobe said cheerfully, watching closely for the reactions of the crew around them. Trinity's head whipped around so quickly Niobe was sure she'd gotten whiplash. Neo's and Link's jaws dropped simultaneously.


"Yes, but I happen to know her new captain and I believe the Neb is in the best of care." Morpheus told her wryly and only then let his eyes fall on Trinity. Morpheus laughed a little at her wide-eyed expression of surprise. It was a rare thing for Trinity to be thrown so completely off balance.

Trinity's mind raced in a hundred or more different directions. Morpheus wasn't going to be the captain? But he'd always been captain of the Nebuchadnezzar! Was he implying what she thought he was implying? Where was he going? She suddenly realized that the council, Roland and Lock had joined them. Lock was inscrutable as always, but Roland had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. The council looked pleased as well. She looked at all of them, then back at Sparks, Ghost, Link and Neo. The latter four were as confused as she was.

Dillard stepped forward, Morpheus and Niobe flanking her.

"Trinity, it is my honor and privilege," Dillard began as Roland tossed a red knit sweater which Niobe deftly caught. "To bestow upon you," Morpheus helped Trinity remove the blue wrap she was wearing over her other layers, "The rank of Captain in the fleet," Niobe helped a thoroughly stunned Trinity don the new, red shirt and then gave her a quick hug. "With all the rights, responsibilities, privileges and duties thereof. Congratulations Captain Trinity," Dillard concluded. The older woman gave Trinity a quick hug before passing her off to Morpheus.

"You knew they were going to do this," she accused. The dark man grinned broadly.

"Yes I did. We all," he gestured to Niobe, Roland and himself, "knew. I'm going to be in charge of the new fleet we're building. We're going to free more people and explore the ruins, maybe find a way to clear the sky and live on the surface again. The Nebuchadnezzar needs someone to be her captain and that someone can no longer be me." He placed a hand on each of her shoulders, "You'll do a damn fine job, Captain." Trinity hugged him, praying to God or whomever that she was worthy of his faith in her.

Neo got over his shock and shared a broad grin with Link. The operator went over to offer his congratulations, but Neo held back. When Trinity had finally been congratulated by everyone else present, she turned to him. The kiss was meant to be quick and soft, but it quickly ran wild even as it grew more serious. Neo tried to pour all the pride an affection he felt in his heart into the kiss.

"I'm sorry Ghost, but I'm not giving you a kiss like that if your make captain," Sparks informed his shipmate. Trinity and Neo remembered themselves and broke apart, both a little breathless.

"Well," Sparks said as he clapped one hand on Ghost's shoulder and one on his own Captain's, "I believe there is a tradition to be observed here."

"Drinks at Freeside?" Niobe asked.

"Drinks at Freeside." Sparks confirmed. "Violas until you feel like your skin is going to melt off. And then"

"I'm afraid to ask," Trinity laughed.

"Then we have Neo take you home and tuck you in," Niobe grinned, "and don't see either of you until late afternoon."

Trinity was speechless, but her blush said it all. Niobe laughed and gave her a small push towards the exit.

"Go get changed. We're taking you out tonight and you will relax," Niobe smirked a little. "We may be the same grade, but I'm older in the rank, so hop to!"

"Yes ma'am," Trinity sketched a salute and left for home with Neo in tow.

Freeside was part bar, part nightclub. It was popular with the military and non-military alike and one of the places both groups of citizens came together to party down. The establishment had so far only been open for meals for the repair crews since the war's end, so Trinity was surprised to hear the heavy music wafting out into the street and see the line of people at the door. A few people recognized Neo and whistled, a few others called for her name and hollered along with the ones cheering for Neo. She was wearing The Shirt, as he'd dubbed it: capital letters and italics and all. She'd worn it specifically for him, but was actually feeling a little self conscious with all those people standing there. Now wasn't the time for that however. She squared her shoulders and little and tried to appear confident as they waited for a moment at the entrance. Trinity gave the crowd a tight smile but then locked her eyes on Morpheus' broad back as they entered, trying to ignore everyone else.


The light in the club was low, creating a dark and mysterious feeling. Black lights and neon ones were hidden in recessed cracks in the living rock. The floor was metallic with bits of frosted backlit glass inset into the floor. The dance floor was empty for the moment as the DJ's began warming up. Music in Freeside was a combination of techno and trance imported from the Matrix, Zion music of the same flavor and in house, live improvisation and composition. Little blue and white LEDs had been set into the blackened ceiling to simulate stars and holographic projections of nebulae wheeled overhead.

The proprietress, 3Jane, greeted them as they entered. "Welcome, welcome," the tall red-head said. "I've set aside Straylight for you this evening. If you'll follow me?" Neo breathed a sigh of relief as he looked around. He would have no trouble getting around this place. He could see the power lines running through the walls and under the metallic floor. He followed Trinity and Morpheus up to the second level where there were numerous tables and some cushioned alcoves set into the walls. A group of people Neo didn't recognize were already there. They stood and mock saluted Trinity who returned the favor.

"They're people from the academy," She whispered to him, "Most of the ones here are going to be reactivated into the fleet. I'll introduce you." She winked, "My first officer should know who the other captains are."

"Yes Ma'am," Neo responded obediently. "Might the first officer remind the captain that she is under orders to relax this evening?"

"Duly noted," she replied and they shared a grin. This could be fun.

"Enough with the sappy love looks, on with the legal stimulants," Sparks said as Morpheus pressed a Viola into Trinity's hand. Trinity looked at the assembled group, shrugged and knocked it back. The other captains cheered and lifted their own shots in toast. Another drink was pressed into Trinity's hand and Neo was given one as well. He downed the shot and suddenly the non-pod born people in the room were glowing as brightly as the pod-born, who were like moving constellations.

"That's cool," Neo mused as he looked around the room.

"Hm?" Trinity asked.

"Everything is so much brighter. It's really," he tried to find a word and failed, "cool." She smiled and took the shot she'd just been given. She gasped slightly as the drink took effect. Immediately Niobe passed by and insisted Trinity do another round with her. After Niobe half danced away, hips swaying to the beat of the music now in full swing, two of the reactivated captains put a shot in each of her hands. Trinity did both and then the one with Ghost and Sparks. Finally she seemed to have had enough and she backed away a little to stand with Neo who'd been watching with amusement from the sidelines.

Trinity's hand brushed against Neo's and she jerked it away. She could feel every callus and the soft scrape of his nails. He looked hurt and she quickly leaned in close, careful not to touch.

"I think I've had too many of these. I need to take the edge off."

Trinity was gone in a swirl of people, leaving Neo more confused that hurt. Take the edge off? You could take the edge off a Viola? Well, his own experiences had been pretty intense. He surmised that if she'd had one too many, everything must be painful. He'd lost count of how many of the shots she'd been given already, so it was a possibility she'd reached her tolerance level.

She returned about 15 minutes later, the smell of alcohol on her breath, carrying a drink. It was clear and Neo could smell it from where he was sitting. She quickly drank half the contents of her glass and then tentatively touched his hand. She smiled brightly and held on a little tighter.

"Better?" he asked. The depressant in the booze must be countering the stimulant in the Viola. She nodded.

"Still not entirely ok, but better," she reassured him. "I had a few shots at the bar to jump-start the process." She winked and squeezed his hand before finishing her drink. Sparks was there at her elbow with another one.

"Saw you switched. Might I get you a rusted squiddie?" he offered. She accepted, saluted him with her glass and downed a good third of the reddish-orange drink. Sparks looked impressed and retreated with a bow. The evening continued with the alcohol in the same way it had with the Violas. Trinity would finish one and someone would set another glass at her elbow. Sometimes she'd take a Viola instead. Neo was quite impressed with her tolerance by the time she left her seat and crawled into his lap. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and gave a happy little sigh.

"Let's dance!" she said suddenly. Neo had wanted to dance with her all evening, but had been unsure because of his lack of sight. In his Viola heightened state however, that fear was long gone. She led him downstairs to the floor and he couldn't help but remember the driving music that had been playing in the club when they'd first met. The music in this club was just as powerful, but the techno in Zion had a much more primal, tribal beat. They moved together on the dance floor, limbs intertwining then dancing away only to touch again, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Neo swore he could actually see those metaphorical flames dance along his skin. Trinity was glowing in Neo's strange non-vision. Her body was like liquid light and her fingers left trails through the air as she danced. He held her close as their bodies ground against one another and she threw back her head and laughed.

A quick round of shots and they were back for more: dancing with the passion and abandon of two people who had cheated death, twice, and were finally allowed to live, to feel, to rejoice. They left the dance floor a second time and Trinity dragged Neo down for a searing kiss. "I'll be right up," she told him with a push towards the stairs to the upper level.

Neo walked to the upper level and met the grins of his friends with a nonchalant one of his own. He was a little tired from dancing: now that Trinity wasn't there, it was as if part of his own energy had dissipated. She returned, more luminous than she had been moments before. Neo was amazed that no one else could see the light she was now radiating. She sauntered forward and pounced on him, her momentum carrying the chair he was sitting on tilting backwards until it hit the railing with a clank.

"Jesus!" Neo exclaimed, startled.

"No, that's you." Trinity countered, her low voice reached his ears and raced straight down to his groin. Her eyes were half lidded and her breath a little heavy. She'd had another round of something. She began kissing his neck and slid her hands under his shirt, spreading her warm fingers over his chest. Perhaps it was time for Trinity to stop drinking for the evening he thought as her hands wandered from his chest. Her fingers had found his pants and were teasing him through the far-too-thin material.

"Maybe you shouldn't do that here." He grasped her hand, thinking she'd be mortified if she remembered in the morning. Sparks was trying hard not to fall over in his laughter and was leaning on Niobe for support.

"Mmmmm. I'm the captain, I believe I give the orders," she retorted with a slight shift of weight that sent pleasant sensations all through his body. Her nimble fingers slipped from his while he was immobilized. She drew her other hand down his chest slowly, giggling softly. Dear god, since when did Trinity giggle? Neo wondered for a moment before he registered her hands again on his fly.

"Trinity," he called to her. She kissed him and let her forehead rest against his. Their fingers warred as she tried to undo him and he tried to fight her away.

"Hmmm?"

"I think we should go ho-omemmph." She sucked on his lower lip then released it. "Everyone is looking," he said a little breathlessly. The shots he'd done with her had taken the edge off the Violas he'd had earlier, but he was still overly sensitive.

"If they respect our privacy they'll leave," she reasoned. Neo grabbed her hands, interlaced their fingers and drew her arms out to either side, well away from his pants. A part of him couldn't believe he was doing this.

"And if they don't leave?" He asked, trying to appeal to any reason left. She ground her hips against his, rotating forward so they were chest to chest.

"Then they'll watch," she breathed, resuming her exploration of his neck with her lips even as she rocked her hips forward again. Neo let out a strangled noise.

"You are so gone," he informed her. She threw back her head and laughed brightly. Neo, in his shock, released her hands. She placed them on his chest as her rich laughter subsided into giggles. She nodded rapidly then put and hand to her temple and giggled again.

"I am, aren't I?" She snickered and leaned into him, tucking her head under his chin.

"I think I am going to take you home now," Neo stood and eased Trinity to her feet. She swayed a little and fell into his chest, giving the rest of the (highly amused) crowd a smug smile as if to say Look what I get to go home with! And he's all MINE!

"Is she going to be ok?" Neo asked the officers watching them with amused smiles.

"Yeah. She started drinking alcohol though, so she might have a bit of a hangover in the morning," Niobe told him.

"Ok," Neo nodded and tried to get Trinity to stand a little more on her own. "Time to go home."

"Home again, home again, Jiggety-jig!" Trinity half sang as she sank into Neo again, causing them both to collapse into a chair. "I had fun," she stated and amazingly got to her own feet with only a small sway. "G'night," she waved and made her way down the steps, Neo following close behind. The group on the second floor looked at one another and raced down the steps behind them, no doubt the show wasn't quite over yet.

"Let's dance again!" Trinity was insisting as she tried to pull Neo onto the floor. Neo shook his head and tried to pull her towards the door. She slipped from his grasp but he was less intoxicated than she was and he grabbed her back easily. She kissed him and a few of the patrons cheered and hooted. Sparks made catcalls from the stairs. When they broke apart Trinity smiled brilliantly. "Home sounds good." Neo smiled and they made their way towards the exit. Locke was just arriving and did a double take as he was passed by Neo and Trinity.

"Where are you going?" he asked, surprised to see them leaving as he was arriving. It was still early.

"I'm going to get laid," Trinity answered cheerfully before dragging Neo from the club.

Lock watched after them for a bewildered moment before he joined the group on the stairs.

"Was that Trinity?" he asked, sure he'd been seeing things.

"Yeah," Roland said and knocked back a shot. There was a moment of silence.

"Well, that was new," Ghost mused.

"Dear god, what did I unleash on the world," Sparks asked no one. "Has anyone ever seen Trinity drink that much before?"

Ghost and Morpheus shook their heads 'no', identical wide-eyed expressions on their faces..


The world was kinda slow, and a bit brighter than normal, but Trinity really, really didn't give a damn. Neo started to push her away and she broke their kiss, giving him a confused look.

"The Elevator doors opened," he said by way of explanation. Elevator doors? Oh! Right! Their floor! She smiled lazily and grabbed his hand. Her plan had been to drag him down the hall so she could get him home as fast as possible so she could ravish him properly, but she wasn't that coordinated for some reason. She staggered and he caught her. She leaned into him while the world stopped spinning and considered nailing him right there against the wall. Some part of her said No! That is NOT a good idea even as another part of her said Fuck that. Fuck him. The more sober voice won out in the end and the two made their way down the hall.

There were a whole bunch of people standing by their doorway. Trinity frowned at them. Why there they there? Oh yeah. Neo. Neo, Neo, Neo. The One. Hey! N, e, o all moved around said "One" actually. She giggled.

"What?" Neo asked.

"Neo," she said loftily, "is an ananaangrim-thing. You know. Those things"

"Anagram?"

"Yes! Neo is an Ana-whatever, of One!" she declared, as if she'd discovered the meaning of life.

"Yes," Neo said after a moment. That was kinda creepy actually. He hadn't though of it before. They were coming up on the edge of the group sitting outside their door. The people were beginning to get to their feet, but perhaps more worrying were the ones getting to their knees. Oh this was going to be interesting. Trinity seemed to be ignoring them now though. She sank into his side and he staggered as he adjusted to her abrupt weight.

"I love you, you know," she told him. "She said I would and I didn't want to. I didn't want to do what she said, I didn't want her to control my life like that." She was shaking her head. "Nope. Wasn't gonna do it. Didn't wanna. But I like you. If you'd been anyone else I don't think I would have liked you nearly as much." Neo shook his head. He wasn't even going to try and parse that.

"Uhm, thanks?"

"I like you. You're nice. And kinda nerdy. But you're cute." She pinched the nearest butt cheek, causing him to yelp. The people were definitely looking at them strangely now. "And you're sexy which is good." Trinity said, a little more loudly than Neo would have liked. His cheeks flamed a little as he steered her towards their door. "I don't think I would have liked it if the One had been one of those ugly, smelly nerds," Trinity was musing now. Neo tried to door. Locked. Shit! Where were the keys? He looked over at Trinity. She seemed to be studying him as he felt around in his pants pockets for the key to the door.

" 'The man I love will be the One' she said. So do I love you because you're the One? Or are you the One because I love you?" She seemed to expect and answer. He shrugged.

"Uhm. I dunno?" The answer seemed to be good enough for her. She smiled and took a staggering step into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Love you. Doesn't matter," she said, drawing his head down into a kiss which lasted quite awhile. He finally had to break for air and was startled when someone, sighed and 'awwwww'ed. He blushed again and was very thankful when he saw Trinity had produced the door key from somewhere. Trinity turned her head to the side, looking at the crowd as Neo took the key from her. Three or four women were sighing, looking starry eyed. Or maybe there were six or eight of them. Trinity frowned at them all anyway.

"Get your own!" she growled as Neo grabbed her hand and dragged her into their room.