A/N: Oops...hehehehe. Anyone who knows me will know that I am a really hopeless speller. Nebuchadnezzar- I'll try and remember that. Thanks for the advice everyone who told me how to spell it.

5

"OH SHIT!" A voice screamed, its sound rebounding off the walls of the ship and running down the corridors of the Nebuchadnezzar.

Moments later, the rest of the crew had traced the scream to the bathroom, where Switch was standing outside the hall, a ragged towel wrapped around her naked form. Raising their eyebrows in uncertainty, the rest of the crew exchanged shifty glances, all except Mouse who's eyes were focused squarely on Switch.

"What the hell are you staring at, you little pervert?" Switch bellowed, holding the towel against her tightly. "All of you get the hell out of here!"

"Switch, what's wrong?" Trinity asked with concern.

"What do you think, Trinity?" Tank laughed. "The woman's naked in front of a crew made up of men."

"And what am I, a sentinel?" Trinity frowned, not even bothering to look to Tank. "Switch, what's the problem?"

"The shower water suddenly started coming out cold, that's all." Switch answered, glaring at Mouse who had still not torn his eyes away from her. "I think something's wrong with the boiler."

"Someone should go and check it out, then." Morpheus ordered. "Trinity, Cypher."

Trinity nodded, despite immediate depression at the promise of spending an entire day in Cypher's company, but before she could leave, Neo called out to Morpheus.

"I can help." Neo suggested, feeling all eyes fall upon him immediately.

He had always hated feeling useless, and wanted to prove himself on board the ship. After his embarrassing failure in the jump program yesterday, he felt as if he needed to do something to gain a good reputation. Besides...how could he pass up the opportunity to work alongside Trinity?

"Neo, you need to focus on your training." Morpheus reasoned.

"I feel like I need to do something worthwhile." Neo said, staring fixedly at his boots. "It will give me a chance to build up my strength in this world anyway. T-there's so much I don't know about this world yet. I want to know everything."

"I suppose increasing your strength in this world is important too." Morpheus sighed. "Alright, Neo. You can take a break from your training today in order to help Trinity repair the boiler. Cypher, go with them as well."

"Yes, sir." Cypher said eagerly, sticking his tongue out seductively when only Trinity was watching, causing her to stomach to flip over in disgust.

"Apoc, could you get your girlfriend to put some clothes on, please?" Tank joked once Morpheus had left. "I think Mouse has seen enough of her legs to last a lifetime."

"Hey, I wasn't-" Mouse defended, unsure of how to finish the sentence anyway.

"Shut up, Mouse." Apoc commanded as Trinity lead Neo and Cypher towards the boiler room.

At least I don't have to do this alone with Cypher. Trinity thought to herself as she reached the boiler room, throwing the door open to reveal a large, blood red machine with steam erupting from a small hole in the top. While Neo stared at the consol in awe, Trinity's attention had already found its way to the large hole to the side of it, also spurting steam at an insanely large pace.

"There's the problem." Cypher pointed, stating the obvious.

"Cypher, get me some tools from the main deck." Trinity commanded.

"Neo can go." Cypher requested as lightly as he could.

"I asked you to go." Trinity scathed, but Neo interrupted before Cypher could retort.

"It's ok. I can get it." Neo turned to leave before pausing at the door, scratching the back of his head in nervousness. "Err...what do you need exactly?"

"Just bring anything you can find that looks useful." Trinity replied, trying not to sound too disappointed in being left alone with Cypher and not Neo.

As soon as Neo was gone, Cypher advanced upon Trinity, smiling darkly. "You know, you have a lot of things in common with this boiler."

We're both monstrously ugly and erupt with steam whenever we get pissed off? Trinity thought to herself, but outwardly choose not to reply to Cypher's strange comment.

"You're both broken." Cypher sneered. "And you're both hot."

"I'm not broken, Cypher." Trinity mumbled, deliberately looking away and focusing on the task at hand.

"Yes you are." Replied Cypher, advancing on her from behind until she could feel his warm breath tickling her neck. "The more you deny what you most need, the more damage you'll be doing to your own soul. Everyone needs love, Trin. Don't try to fight it. Give into your temptations."

He leaned further into her neck but Trinity pulled away sharply, turning to face him with anger in her eyes. Luckily for Cypher, Neo burst into the room and dumped a tray of tools onto the floor beside the boiler.

"Thanks, Neo." Trinity said, unable to resist showering him in a kind smile. Neo grinned sheepishly in reply while Cypher felt as if his blood was literally boiling within his skin.

"Right, now what?" Cypher questioned rudely, kicking the boiler with frustration. "This piece of junk ain't gonna fix itself."

"We need to turn the water off completely." Said Trinity. "Cypher, climb onto the top and twist the wheel that will turn it off. Neo, you'll be helping me."

"Neo can turn the wheel." Cypher argued.

"Cypher," Trinity frowned. "Just do it. I'm not in the mood for this shit."

"Whatever." Cypher shrugged, reaching into the tool box and pulling out a wrench before climbing atop the boiler. Trinity pulled the rest of the tool box beside her and crouched beside the hole, awaiting the steam to be turned off.

"So this thing heats up all the water on board the ship for showers and stuff?" Neo asked, crouching beside Trinity who was now fumbling through the toolbox.

"Yes. It also helps to reduce the cold and make the ship warmer for the crew." Trinity replied, somehow managing to stop her voice from quavering.

"Obviously it doesn't work too well then." Neo grinned as the surrounding steam evaporated. He traced his fingers across the top of the hole, avoiding the jagged edges. "How do you think it happened?"

"I don't know." Trinity said truthfully. "It's possible that the boiler overheated and the sides melted gradually over a long period of time. But the edges are jagged, almost as if they've been broken through with something."

"You mean someone purposely broke the boiler?" Asked Neo.

"Or accidentally. I'm not sure." Trinity shrugged, already straining under the heat of the boiler room. Eventually, she decided the heat would be much more bearable if she removed her over-shirt.

The reaction, in Trinity's frame of mind, as she pulled her over-shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor, was definitely not predictable. Cypher was sneering from the top of the boiler, watching her with a sinister glint glittering in his eye. Neo's jaw had literally dropped slightly, his large dark eyes widening in awe. Trinity merely frowned at the pair of them, turning back to her work.

Why are they looking at me like that? I'm not beautiful or anything. I'm covered in plugs after all. She asked herself, beknownst to the fact that the thoughts currently revolving around Neo's mind were almost completely different.

She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...

"I've almost got the water off." Said Cypher. "I'll go tell the others that there isn't gonna be any hot water for a while, then."

"Right." Trinity nodded as Cypher leapt off the boiler and left the room reluctantly. Turning her attentions back to Neo once he was gone, Trinity knelt beside the hole and studied it briefly. "Neo, I'm going to have to weld the edges together, which means it's going to get even hotter in here soon. You think you'll be ok?"

Neo considered this for a moment, then gripped the hem of his tattered shirt and lifted it over his head, dropping it to the floor beside Trinity's. Now it was Trinity's turn to blush, as she turned away from him hurriedly feeling her cheeks change to a vibrant shade of red.

"Erm...is there a problem?" Neo asked innocently, now regretting removing his shirt in the first place.

"No, everything's fine." Trinity replied, finally gaining the courage to look at him directly. His muscles were still weak and feeble since he'd hardly been using them, his skin still pale from lack of sunshine and the plugs on his chest were evident against his skin. Yet still, she found that now she was focused squarely upon the man in front of her, she simply couldn't tear her eyes away from him again.

"Um....maybe we should start work." Neo suggested, uncertain if capturing Trinity's attention was a good thing or not.

"Right." Trinity mumbled, however still unable to tear away from Neo's bare chest. "Work."

The door flung open and Cypher barged into the room noisily, immediately recognizing the situation at hand. Trinity's roaming eyes could only mean one thing, at least in his frame of mind.

"Did you tell the others, Cypher?" Neo asked innocently, turning to face the man he addressed. Trinity, however, hardly registered Cypher's presence at all, not even attempting to face him.

"Of course I told them." Cypher spat, snatching the wrench in his hand and climbing back atop the boiler.

"What are you doing?" Neo asked curiously.

"I have to turn off the water completely." Was Cypher's only reply as he turned his back to the others and busied himself with the wheel atop the boiler. Neo felt a shiver trace down his spine: there was something sinister in the way Cypher addressed him.

Reclaiming her senses, Trinity knelt beside the hole once more, although her eyes hardly left Neo for a moment. This only caused Neo to become more anxious than ever, and he clumsily dropped the welding mask and the weld when Trinity asked him to hand them to her. As the weld clattered to the floor, both instantly reached for it, and Neo's fingers slipped atop fingers that did not belong to him. Slender, delicate, feminine fingers that were warm from the boilers heat, with beads of sweat clinging to the sides of them.

"Sorry." He mumbled, feeling the fingers twitch beneath his own as he met eyes with their owner, still watching him intently with a penetrating stare. Despite his apology, Neo failed to remove his hand, and yet Trinity seemed not to object as she savored the warmth lingering in his clammy hand, resting comfortingly above her own.

From above the two, Cypher watched the display with nothing other than bitter dislike as his hand tightened around the wrench. From above, he saw it all. The desire and passion engulfing Trinity's stony ice eyes, only matched by the love and admiration returned in Neo's soft brown gaze. Perhaps the pair hardly recognized what they had, although it was painfully obvious to any who witnessed. What made matters worse, was that they themselves did not yet see their own love for each other.

Such emotion filled Cypher's being, jealousy....sadness....pain, but the strongest was anger. The burning rage that made his blood boil beneath his skin, putting a red tinge into his cheeks and not because of the heat issuing from the boiler. No longer able to hold his rage at bay any longer, Cypher ripped the wrench from the wheel and tossed it, hurtling towards the man bellow him.

Neo couldn't have known what was in stall for him. How could he, when he spared no attention for anything other than the 'Dark Angel' in front of him? His only warning was the rush of air beside his right ear a spilt second before metal clashed with his shoulder in a strong thud. Immediately, pain seeped throughout his entire body, issuing from his right shoulder from which he was struck. The pain was almost unbearable, and he instantly lowered himself to the ground, grasping his shoulder and crying out in agony.

"Neo!" Trinity cried, moving quickly to his side and putting her hand to his shoulder, eyes filled with concern as she met his, which were clouded with pain and lined with silvery tears he was struggling to keep away. Whispering quietly, she asked. "Are you ok?"

"I've been better." Neo smiled despite his injury. Trinity smiled feebly herself, blinking wide eyes that enraptured him so, as he saw the beauty within her soul reflected on the surface of the glittering blue crystal colour, shimmering in her eyes which were wide with deepest concern.

Tearing away from her reluctantly, Neo raised his eyes to try and find the source of his injury, only to see Cypher peering over the edge of the boiler, smirking slimily. Following his eyes, Trinity's own narrowed when she saw the look on Cypher's face. A look he tried and failed to hide.

"My finger slipped." Cypher said sourly, shrugging in tune with his words. He could tell merely be the anger reflected in Trinity's eyes that she was unconvinced.

Yeah right. Trinity thought bitterly. What's his problem anyway? Does he like to see others in pain? Has he made a sport of it or something?

"What? It was an accident!" Cypher retorted, jumping beside the pair and patting Neo on the back sharply. "Sorry Neo, man."

"It's alright." Neo mumbled, still holding his hand over the bruise forming on his shoulder. The wrench had been hot from touching the wheel of the boiler, and Neo was sure he had been burnt as well.

"I better take you to the Med Bay." Said Trinity worriedly, stepping forward and taking Neo's arm, causing Cypher to cringe with envy while both Neo and Trinity stiffened at the touch. Looking into his eyes once more, Trinity tugged him forward slightly. "Come on."

I was trying to have revenge, but it looks like it backfired. Cypher scowled. Trinity only seems to be more interested in him than before. If anything, my hurting of Neo just made them stronger. How the hell could I let that happen?

As Neo reached the door, experiencing tension as Trinity clung to his left arm, he glanced over his shoulder to see an enraged Cypher. Naively, he ignored Cypher's loathing, paying more attention to the unfinished job on the boiler.

"Cypher, can you finish up here?" Neo asked innocently, coaxing his head to the side.

"Oh sure, I'll do it, pretty boy." Cypher scathed. "And I'll do it with my shirt ON!"

(o)

"Why was Cypher so angry with me before?" Neo asked as Trinity helped him onto one of the tables in the Med Bay.

"I don't know." Trinity answered truthfully. "If anything, you should be angry with him for dropping that wrench on you. C-can I take a look?"

Nodding, Neo removed his hand. Trinity flinched when she saw the large purple-blue bruise that had formed on his shoulder, framed with a pinkish burn.

"Shit. That bastard." Trinity cursed under her breath, but said aloud. "I'll get some ice for that, ok?"

Neo nodded again, watching her move away to fetch what she needed. Every movement she made captivated him. She was so graceful...and yet so powerful and strong, moving swiftly with an air of feminine beauty.

That's what I'd call it. Neo smiled to himself as he watched her advance on him again. Beauty in strength.

It was Neo's turn to flinch when Trinity pressed the ice (wrapped in a ragged towel) against his wounded skin. Trinity couldn't help flinching too, disliking seeing him in such pain, especially when she was its cause. Ever since she was granted the task of "de-bugging" him, she had known that his pain would also be her own.

"Hold that there for a moment." She instructed, moving back to the benched set behind the bed. "Do you want something to ease the pain?"

"As long as it isn't one of those IV bags." Neo frowned. Trinity shook her head, moving back to him with bandages and two greenish tablets. For a moment, his eyes flickered with uncertainty. But it was hard for anyone, especially Neo, not to trust the Nebuchadnezzar's second-in-command.

"Take these." She ordered, handing him the tablets and a mug of water. "It'll help, don't worry. But it will make you a little drossy. Is your shoulder numb yet?"

"I think so." Neo held the ice away. At once, Trinity began to rub poultice into the inflamed skin, Neo unable to deny he enjoyed her fingers fluttering across his skin. Once this was done, she wrapped it tightly in a banged, clasping it together with tape.

"That should to it." Trinity moved away as Neo swallowed the tablets she'd given him.

"Thank you, Trinity." Neo smiled warmly, pushing himself off the table. "I-I should get some sleep."

"Good idea." Trinity nodded, busying herself with packing away the medical supplies. She listened to the sounds of his boots clunking against the metal floor as he reached the door, and pulled it open with a squeak.

"Good night, Trinity." Neo said from the door in a tone of deepest sincerity.

"Good night, Neo." Trinity replied as he shut the door and hurried back to his room.