A/N: I like this chapter cause it's all in the one setting, just with different people coming in and out of it. I haven't done anything like this before, so tell me how I go. By the way, this chapter is dedicated to Kris cause she helped me come up with all the ideas for it.

7

Neo entered the Mess Hall the night after, his throat dry and longing for a drink of water. Seeing as it was considerably late in the night, he was surprised to find that the Mess Hall was anything but empty. Mouse, Tank, Apoc, Switch and Dozer were sitting at the table drinking some sort of alcohol and talking loudly. As he pressed a hand against the steel door, he heard his name mentioned amongst other things. And Trinity's. Pushing the door open with a creek, he became aware that the voices were stilled almost instantly.

"Neo!" Tank beamed, taking a swig from his mug. "Pull up a chair."

"Thanks." Neo said, dropping into a chair and pulling the blanket he had brought with him tighter around his shoulders.

"We were just talking about you, you know." Said Mouse from the seat beside Neo, breaking the single moment of silence.

"Well that's nice, isn't it?" Dozer scowled. "You don't tell someone if you were just talking about them, Mouse."

"I think you've convinced us all that you're the One, Neo. You've certainly made an impression on everyone here." Mouse continued, choosing to ignore Dozer for the time being.

"Yeah, especially Trinity." Tank said with a sly grin.

"Trinity?" Neo questioned, startled by Tank's sudden change of subject.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think she's left quite an impression on him as well." Switch smirked from across the table.

"I-I don't understand." Neo replied truthfully.

"Pretty naïve for someone who's supposed to save the world." Switch answered, lifting her mug to her lips to show that she no longer was going to reply.

"Hmm....Neo and Trinity." Mouse pondered. "A pretty good match if you think about it."

"Nothing is happening between Trinity and I." Neo said, a hint of sadness entwined with his words. "Apparently, she's in love with Cypher."

"With Cypher?" Tank snorted, collapsing into a fit of laughter, Switch and Mouse following his lead. Neo glanced between all of them in confusion, marveling at the fact that even Apoc and Dozer were finding it hard to keep a straight face.

"Who told you that, Neo?" Tank asked, after recovering from a laughing fit.

"Cypher did." Neo replied.

"Well that explains it." Tank said through a laugh. "The very idea that Trinity could be interested in Cypher is ridiculously hilarious."

"Why?" Asked Neo.

"Trinity has hated Cypher from the moment he stepped on board this ship." Switch informed him. "Her only feelings towards him would be that of utter loathing and hatred."

"Oh." Neo grinned, enjoying the sense of relief that was spreading through him as he secretly rejoiced in the new knowledge, only to have it overcome with sadness when he remembered the other things Cypher had told him. Perhaps these things weren't true either. "Cypher also said she's too cold to feel emotion"

"Now, I have to admit that's true." Tank frowned slightly, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Trinity hasn't been with anyone since she was jacked out of the Matrix. As for inside the Matrix, I honestly couldn't tell you since no one really knows. But I strongly doubt that she has. I've known Trinity a long time, Neo, and I know that she can be pretty inhumane at times. But I gotta tell you...I've definitely seen some changes in her since you were unplugged."

Neo lowered his face, staring at his hands which were clutching the rim of his shirt and resting on the table. He seriously didn't know what to think now...he didn't want to hope for the best.

"You know," Mouse stated randomly, swinging on the back legs of his chair. "Trinity's actually pretty hot. I mean, she's no Woman in Red...." He leaned in next to Neo, whispering rather loudly. "But she's got legs to kill."

"And you would know this...how?" Switch questioned, raising an eyebrow and watching him witheringly. Mouse chose to ignore this question.

"Who's the Woman in Red?" Asked Neo wonderingly. Apoc shook his head in annoyance, preparing himself for the worst. Sure enough, Mouse's eyes widened and his jaw dropped to his neck.

"Y-You mean....Morpheus hasn't taken you through the agent training program yet?" Mouse asked in disbelief, gawking when Neo shook his head. "My God! T-That is simply unheard of! I'm gonna have to speak to Morpheus about this straight away-"

"Shut up, Mouse." Apoc muttered, hardly looking up.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in." Neo said, getting to his feet. "Night, everyone."

"See ya, Neo!" Tank called brightly as Neo left the Mess Hall, turning back to the others once he was gone. "Nice guy, isn't he?"

"Still doesn't mean he's the One." Replied Apoc, also getting to his feet. "I think I'll get some sleep as well. Coming, Switch?"

"Later." Switch answered. Apoc nodded and strode out of the Mess Hall, followed shortly by Mouse and Dozer, who both had the night shift in the core, keeping an eye on the Matrix code and watching for sentinel activity. Only moments after they'd left, Trinity and Cypher replaced them and took their seats.

Why do I always end up on shifts with Cypher? Trinity asked herself, feeling in a foul mood after spending three hours alone in Cypher's company. She flopped into the empty seat beside Tank after getting herself a mug of water and watched moodily as Cypher took the seat opposite.

"Someone looks pretty put out." Said Tank, shaking Trinity roughly by the shoulder. "You look half asleep, Trinity. Maybe you should call it a day."

Trinity didn't reply, stewing in her own bad mood. She always felt this way after spending a day in Cypher's company and it had left her with a headache to accompany her exhaustion.

"See anything interesting?" Asked Switch, deciding to take the spotlight of Trinity for a moment by directing the question to Cypher instead.

"Depends how you define interesting." Cypher said idly. "A couple of celebrities got together in Hollywood for an after party after some award show, and a rich man was getting pissed cause his cleaner didn't turn up to clean his indoor pool. That's pretty much it, unless you count an eight year old taking out the trash as interesting."

"Neo used to help his landlady carry out her garbage when he was in the Matrix." Trinity said absent-mindedly, hardly aware that she'd spoken her last thought aloud. Switch and Tank exchanged smiles from across the table, where as Cypher's reaction was almost the opposite.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT NEO!" Cypher shouted, rising to his feet. Trinity broke from her dreamy ravine to meet with a pair of penetrating blue eyes shining with purest loathing. "ALL YOU EVER DO IS TALK ABOUT HIM! HE'S A LOSER WHO SUCKS HIS OWN COCK!"

In seconds, Trinity was on her feet. She moved so violently that the chair behind her toppled to the ground with a terrifying clatter. How dare he say that about Neo! He can try to seduce me, he can spread rumors about me, but lying about Neo like that is the last straw! Now, he's going to pay!

Tank knew it was impossible to bring Trinity to her senses, and part of him agreed with her in saying that Cypher needed a good ass-kicking. But if she didn't do something soon, a fight would brake out and that would almost guarantee trouble. His mind whirred with possible witty retorts to Trinity's comment, hopefully something that could calm her down. However, only one came to mind, and it wasn't one she'd like to hear. But it was the best he could do, and at least it would stop her from starting a fight and getting into trouble.

"Why would he suck his own cock when Trinity could do it for him?"

Trinity swiveled to Tank, still sitting innocently in his seat. He gloated briefly at the success of his plan, as she seemed to be ignoring Cypher completely. Unfortunately, the comment had obviously been too strong for Trinity's liking because all her anger was now focused on him.

"That's it." Trinity muttered. His snide comments about her and Neo had gone too far. Brandishing her fist, she advanced on the young operator, swiping at his shoulder just as he ducked out of her way and swerved around the table.

She charged after him, as he bolted for the door to the Mess Hall, hearing and ignoring Switch and Cypher's laughter ringing in her ears. Tank neared the door and was inches away from opening it when it was wrenched open from the opposite side, causing him to skid to the side in alarm. But Trinity wasn't quick enough and she flew into the newcomer, crashing to the floor.

Neo looked up in surprise, meeting with a familiar pair of ice blue eyes. Trinity's body felt warm and secure atop his own and he was pleased when she made no effort to stand up, instead choosing to stare back at him unblinkingly as pieces of ebony hair escaped from behind her ear and fell into her face.

"Hi." She whispered, her voice mixed with shock.

"Hi." Neo replied, his tone filled with confusion.

Trinity knew she should have moved. She could hear the others laughing in the room behind her and knew that Cypher was stewing in his own rage. But Neo's body fell into place against her own, as if they had been made to fit together. She could feel his chest heaving against her stomach and felt the warmth of his thighs spreading to her legs. If it were a perfect world...she wouldn't have moved at all, and would have spent the rest of her life staring into his chestnut eyes, blinking back at her with a silky enchantment.

"You guys should think about getting up, now." Switch called, laughing hysterically.

"Yeah, or you could just move into another room!" Tank joked whilst howling with laughter.

Sighing, Trinity moved off Neo reluctantly and scrambled to her feet, holding out a hand to help him up after her. Tank and Switch had collapsed onto the nearest chairs to them in a laughing heap, while Cypher stood rigidly to the spot, his eyes glowing with rage as he shifted his gaze between the two soldiers in the doorframe, their faces glowing an equally dark shade of crimson.

"Sorry." Trinity whispered, turning swiftly and hurrying out of the Mess Hall. Once she has disappeared around the next corridor, Neo moved to the sink to get himself a glass of water, smiling inwardly to himself.

I came back here hoping to get a glass of water. Looks like I got more than I bargained for...

"What did I tell you?" Tank grinned, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes for the second time that night. "She's got the hots for you."

"Maybe." Neo shrugged, taking the mug of water and moving back to the door. "See you tomorrow."

Only moments after he'd left, Tank and Switch followed his lead, laughing to themselves as they made their way to their separate rooms. Once he was alone, Cypher dropped back into his seat and sighed, putting his head in his hands.

It was hopeless now. He saw it. He had known it the moment he'd seen them in Neo's room after his first day of training, yet Cypher still thought he may be able to make Trinity fall in love with him. He should have known that it was impossible. Once she fell in love with him, that was it. There was no turning back.

He felt tired. Exhausted. He was tired of the ship...tired of being cold...tired of following orders....tired of Morpheus and the blind faith he put in Neo....Neo, The One...the one who had taken Trinity from him...the one who had left him with this feeling of exhaustion and emptiness.

He was fed up with it all. So now they'd found The One and could go off and fight their war on their own, and Trinity could have her savior. There really wasn't any need for him to be here anyway....nothing really seemed to matter, not even her. Now that she was gone from him he failed to see the purpose in life...he couldn't stand this bullshit anymore!

He wanted to forget it all. He wanted to go back to what is life was before...before he knew the truth...before he knew he had to fight a war...before he met that asshole Morpheus and had to suffer through all this bullshit...before he even knew there was a person named Neo....before Trinity...

Yes, he wanted to forget it all. He wanted to pretend it never happened, to remember absolutely nothing. NOTHING AT ALL. Not even Trinity. He had to go back....by any means he would find a way back. Back to a life where he wasn't cold, tired or had to suffer eating the same crap day after day. Back to a life without Morpheus, Neo or Trinity. He wanted to escape it all.

He wanted to go back to the Matrix.

(o)

A/N: How was that? I liked setting the whole thing in the one place with different people coming in and out. But what I really want to know about is what you thought about Cypher's little bit at the end. I know one of my reviewers (sorry, I forget who) thinks that Trinity isn't the main reason for him wanting to get back into the Matrix so I tried to weave some other stuff in but keep Trinity as the main focus cause I think she has A LOT to do with it, actually. So tell me what you think about the end and also what you thought about setting the whole chapter in the one place. Thanks heaps!