Jasmine: Yeah, Trinity is a bit more emotional in this story than she is in the movies, but it if I didn't make her express some emotion every now and then, than she would be a pretty irritating and boring character, and her relationship with Neo wouldn't be as strong. I figure that she's all cold and unemotional when she's with other people, but different when she's with Neo and the few other people she's close to. Besides, there is a bit of a change in her personality between Matrix and Matrix Reloaded, and I had to justify that in this fic. But thank you for your advice, and I'll do my best to make her a little less emotional in later chapters

Trinitylozhki: Thanks for your awesome review! You're right, some of the technical side of things is a bit off now that I think about it, but I needed to bend some of the rules of reality here and there to make this story flow, if you can understand me. I'll try to make it more realistic from now on, but considering that I don't know much about hacking and all that kind of thing myself, it will be difficult. Let me know if anything of the kind happens again. Also, I didn't know that Trinity had a relationship with Ghost! That came as a shock to me! Are we talking a love relationship or more of a friendship, because if it's love, then that will completely throw me off. Please reply to me in your next review and I'll do my best to interpret the Ghost/Trinity thing into later chapters.

Thank you to everyone else for their amazing reviews! I feel really privileged to be able to know that what first started off to me a very insignificant, minor project of mine has reached so many people, and so many of you actually like it! I don't think words could tell you just how grateful I am to all of you!

Anyway, I've delayed you long enough. Here is the next chapter!

35

"How are you feeling, Kid?" Neo asked as he stepped into his old room on board the Nebuchadnezzar for the first time in months.

Kid was sitting just as Neo had on his first morning on board the ship – with his back pressed against the wall and his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked up and smiled broadly as Neo entered the room. Strange, Neo mused, for someone who only found out the truth yesterday, he certainly seems very calm.

"Actually, I'm a little cold, and these shirts are kind of itchy." Kid pulled up the sleeve of his over-shirt and scratched his arm to stress his point.

"You'll get used to the clothes and the weather in time, trust me." Neo said, an expression of curiosity gracing his face. He sat himself down on the bed beside Kid before he voiced his question. "Um…do you mind me asking how you can be so calm in a time like this?"

"I know!" Kid exclaimed with enthusiasm and delight dancing in his dark eyes. Neo almost fell off the bed in surprise. "It's hard to stop myself from screaming. I mean, can you believe this? Can you believe this is really happening? I've never felt so alive before."

"But…don't you feel confused or depressed? You just found out your whole life was a lie, for crying out loud." Neo struggled to keep a normal tone.

Kid snorted. "Yeah right. Like I'd ever want to go back to the way things were. For once in my life, things actually feel real." He beamed. "Besides, it isn't as if I had anything to look forward to in that life. I was failing school, I had no real friends, my mother's an unemployed, high school dropout and my father's a total dick."

"Whoa." Neo said, dumbfounded, as he tried to think of something to say in reply. "You're a…bizarrely honest kid."

"It doesn't matter now." Kid shrugged. "I'm out now, and I can leave that all behind me. I'm free, and it's all thanks to you, Neo."

Neo was left completely speechless. Never before had he met someone quite like Kid. He was so chirpy and optimistic all the time, and didn't seem to keep any secrets from anyone. And as he found out later, completely idolized Neo even though he had no idea he was the One. He remembered what Trinity said about it taking a special kind of person to achieve self-substantiation. There was no doubt about it – Kid definitely was 'special'.

"So…what's next?" Kid asked eagerly.

"What do you mean, 'what's next'?" Neo questioned.

"Well…shouldn't we get out there and do something now? You know, be saving the world one person at a time?" Kid pulled a face.

"You've been reading too many comic books, Kid. It's not like that," Neo retorted. "We arrive in Zion in two days, and since I'm the one who found you, I'm the one who has to train you."

"Train me? How?"

"You'll see." Neo jerked his head in the direction of the open door. "Follow me."

Kid was more than willing to do so.

(o)

"He certainly is strange." Trinity commented to Morpheus as the two of them watched Kid and Neo training inside the construct. "Ever since he arrived on this ship, he hasn't let Neo out of his sight."

"Neo hasn't told him about the prophecy yet, has he?" Morpheus asked worriedly. "That could be why he's following him around."

"He's only told him the bare minimum. No details." Trinity replied without taking her eyes away from the screen. "But even so, he seems to have latched onto Neo like there's no tomorrow."

"I guess he's just staying with who he feels most comfortable with." Morpheus suggested an explanation. "We all like to hold on to what is comfortable to us when everything around us is changing. It's part of human nature."

"Still, he is beginning to get on my last nerve." Trinity admitted, having grown accustomed to having Neo to herself most of the time. Morpheus smiled to show he understood.

"Well, luckily for you, you won't need to see too much more of him. We arrive in Zion in sixteen hours. Neo told me earlier that he wants to ensure that Kid has a room with Raven at the academy. He thinks it will be easier for Kid if he knows someone who is familiar with the same things as he is." Morpheus couldn't resist a grin. "I think Neo's become quite fond of him."

(o)

Kid's face was alight with excitement and anxiety as he followed Neo up the ladder to the main deck on the morning they were due to arrive in Zion three days later.

"Man, this is exciting. I'm actually going to see the last city of mankind!" He exclaimed joyfully to his companion. "Bit of a bummer, though. I'd rather stay here with you, Neo."

"Well, maybe when you finish the training program, you can work for Morpheus." Neo suggested sarcastically.

"Really?" Kid replied, his eyes wide with delight.

"No." Neo smiled at him over his shoulder as they reached the main deck. He tossed his bags to the floor in front of the ship's entranceway, gesturing for Kid to do the same just as Trinity and Morpheus emerged from the cockpit.

"I wish I could have been in the cockpit with you guys when you landed the ship." Kid sulked as the steel wall began to automatically lower itself, transforming into a ramp. Neo's smile broadened as he remembered just how he was feeling as he waited for that same ramp to lower and he could have his first glimpse at Zion.

"Maybe some other time, Kid." Morpheus replied, smiling now too. For some reason, it had never been formally decided that Kid's name should be 'Kid'. Since he had first called him 'kid', the name seemed more natural to Neo, and seemed to have stuck. Both Morpheus and Trinity had decided to follow his lead.

"He certainly is one extroverted kid." Trinity had remarked just a day ago when Neo had asked her what she thought of him. "He kind of reminds me of a younger version of Mouse – just as talkative. And he won't leave you alone for a second, as if he already knew you were the One."

Neo did admit to her that he thought Kid was a little strange. He once asked him why he remembered his name over all the other hackers he had researched that night after their conversation. Kid had merely shrugged and said that the name was stuck in his head, and the person he was chatting to simply 'sounded like someone who would call themselves Neo'.

Although he found this slightly unnerving, Neo had to admit that he had become quite attached to Kid, as irritating as he may be. He felt protective of him, like he was his older brother, and he enjoyed being around someone so inquisitive and positive after all the grieving that followed Tank's death. Because Kid hadn't known Tank, it was good to be around someone who didn't know what had happened. It was clear to him that both Trinity and Morpheus felt the same as well.

As the ramp touched the floor of the dock, and the circular dome came into full view, Neo caught Trinity's eye and smiled, realizing that this would be their third trip back into Zion together. It felt as though years had past since then, and he thought of all that had changed in such a short space of time, and all they had been through together. It was as if he always left Zion one way, and would return again later in an entirely different mind, with a different perspective and more wisdom then he had when he had been there last. Like he was a completely different person every time he returned.

Trinity watched the expression change on Kid's face with mild amusement as they stepped off the ship and moved along one of the suspended bridges after briefly speaking to one of the men who would tend to the ship. At the same time, however, she couldn't help noticing that several workers who wouldn't normally give them a second glance were now pausing to gaze at them, whispering amongst themselves and pointing to Neo, expressions of either awe, disbelief or scorn printed onto their faces as they watched him. Neo was unaware of this as he was too busy talking to Morpheus and watching Kid, and Trinity decided not to say anything until they reached the elevator, lest she make him feel self-conscious.

"Did you notice anyone staring at us when we were at the dock?" Trinity whispered to him, her voice barely audible over Kid's ramblings.

Neo shook his head, confusion evident in his eyes. "I didn't notice anything. Were they really staring?"

"Whispering and pointing as well." She added. "It was as if you were some kind of…."

"Some kind of what?" He asked her, watching as her eyes grew wide with realization.

"Some kind of celebrity." She finished, gazing at him worriedly.

"Oh God." Neo gaped as he came to realize what she meant. "You don't mean that –"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, as the doors to the elevator suddenly sprang open, and they stepped out into the crowded streets beyond. The now familiar sounds of the constant chatter and laughter that filled the warm streets of Zion was almost droned away completely as people began to recognize Neo and point to him, just as they had done at the docks.

"That's him! The guy with Morpheus!" Someone cried. "That's Neo – the One!"

As crowds of people began to close in around him, Neo glanced around him wildly for a path of escape. For one, brief moment, he locked eyes with Morpheus, and saw a mixture of confusion and fury written on his face. People were closing in around him like a sea of colour, bombarding him with questions that he couldn't possibly answer.

"Is it true, Neo? Are the rumors true?"

"Why weren't we told before?"

"Neo, my son is dying. Will you bless him for me?"

Neo mouthed at them speechlessly, unsure of what to say amongst the sea of questions blended in together to the point in which they were almost inaudible. All the different faces…some glancing at him scornfully or doubtfully, others with eyes alive with joy and admiration. He wasn't sure which he resented more. He wanted them to leave him alone, but at the same time his heart went out to each and every one of them.

Trinity stood rigidly at his side, desperately wanting to help him but realizing that she was powerless to do anything. She was trying to stay close to him, though it was hard with the people surrounding them wanting to push their way to the front. Anger began to swell inside of her as she kept her eyes on his pale, almost frightened face. Who told them about Neo? The Council? How dare they even think of doing something like this without talking to Neo about it first?

Suddenly, a distressed Councilor Harman pushed his way in through the crowd towards them, eyes alive with both concern and tension as he beckoned the entire crew of the Nebuchadnezzar after him, his voice barely audible above the surrounding crowds.

"Come to my office." He ordered them. "Follow me."

(o)

"What happened back there?" Morpheus questioned when they eventually found their way to Harman's office through the sea of gawking people, most of whom had approached them with a flurry of questions. His voice had risen slightly, indicting that he was just as infuriated about the situation as Trinity. "Why does everyone know about Neo?"

Harman sat calmly at his desk, surveying the small crowd of people that filled his office. Neo was slumped in his chair, his head hung and the colour drained completely from his face, with an enraged Trinity and Morpheus sitting on either side, and a confused, newly-unplugged boy he had not yet met loitering in the background and listening in on the conversation with curiosity.

"The Council haven't the slightest idea how this happened, Captain, I assure you. But somehow, word has gotten out that Neo is the One." He explained. "I believe the rumors started to spread about four weeks ago, until everyone in the city knew and the Council was forced to make an official statement. We knew this would happen when you returned, and I wish there was some way I could have prepared you for this reaction. I'm sorry it came as such a shock."

Trinity longed to shout at Harman, although she knew that it wasn't his fault. Besides, it wasn't right to speak to a Councilor out of turn, let alone to shout at them. Instead, she slid her hand onto Neo's lap beneath the desk, finding his cold, clammy hand and taking it in her own, gently squeezing his fingers. Neo breathed in deeply, trying to calm his racing heart as her touch brought comfort to his entire being. He would never be able to express just how grateful he was that she was with him right at that moment.

"Do you have any idea who started the rumors?" Morpheus questioned, the rage in his tone now replaced with concern.

"We were hoping you would." Harman smiled weakly, turning his attentions away from Morpheus and to Neo instead. "Neo, can you think of anyone outside of the Council who knew that you were the One?"

Neo swallowed, trying to push all thoughts of what had just happened out of his mind so he could think clearly. When he eventually spoke, his voice was so soft that it could barely be heard. "Well, there's Tank's family…but they knew they weren't supposed to speak about it. There's also the Matron and some of the doctors at the hospital."

"Also sworn to secrecy." Harman interrupted. "They signed a contract. I would be very surprised if any of them broke it, as they were the most trustworthy and highest-ranking members of Zion's medical staff."

Neo nodded in agreement as another thought came to mind. "There's also Lorena. I don't know how she found out, but she seems to know about it."

"Speaking of Lorena," Harman spoke before Neo had a chance to try and explain who Lorena was. "there's something I ought to tell you, Neo. A girl by the name of Vivianna wanted me to let you know that you should see her about this Lorena person as soon as you can. But this is hardly a matter to discuss right now." He said, cutting Neo off from making a reply. "We need to think about how we are going to deal with this situation for the time being. Captain, what do you propose?"

"I believe it is only fair that Neo make some public statement to the people." Morpheus suggested, much to Neo's inward protest. The thought of addressing the entire city made him feel physically ill. "That way, he'll be able to answer most of their questions and there's less chance of him being bothered with publicity."

"I agree, and so does the rest of the Council. We have already discussed this matter and we think this is the best thing to do. We didn't expect this to come out yet, but I suppose we were only delaying the inevitable. Only now, none of us are prepared for the reaction of the general public. I believe it will eventually calm down a little, although from now on, you must remember that you've virtually lost your private life, Neo. There will always be people in Zion who will approach you with challenging questions or unbelievable requests. You'll just have to learn to live with it. It's part of being the One."

Neo understood what Harman meant, but he still wasn't thrilled with what he was saying. Constant publicity…little privacy…people coming to him everyday with problems he couldn't fix…others judging him, and scoffing at his every move. He didn't think he'd be able to take it.

"I'm certain the Council will request a hearing with you soon." Harman continued when Neo made no reply. "But I doubt they'll be able to tell you anything more than I have. For now, I suppose there's nothing more you can do than wait for the Council to send word. How people found out about this is irrelevant. All we wish to discuss is what needs to be done from here."

"Thank you, Councilor." Morpheus nodded in gratitude, placing a hand comfortingly on Neo's shoulder before standing and leaving the room, beckoning a bewildered Kid to follow.

"You ready?" Trinity asked once they had left, squeezing Neo's hand gently. He shook his head, but stood nevertheless, allowing her to lead him out of the office and into the crowded streets beyond.

(o)

Baskets filled with gifts and offerings were constantly being placed outside their door, and Trinity was certain there were a few people loitering about in the corridor each time she opened the door to bring them inside upon Neo's request. He didn't like having them sitting outside in the open, as it made him feel even more embarrassed by the whole affair than he already was.

He had always hated attention, which came hand-in-hand with his fear of public speaking. But this went far beyond all of his worst nightmares put together.

"All those faces…" He whispered hoarsely to Trinity as they sat together on their bed. "…like a sea of colour. All staring at me as if they expect something of me…like there's something I should be doing or saying. I don't think I could take it all the time."

"You're going to have to, Neo. They know now, and there's nothing we can do about it." She wished that she had something more to say to him…wished there was a way to take away all of his stress and self-doubt. "We're just going to have to cope with it."

Neo nodded glumly. "I know all that. But it doesn't make living like this any easier. From now on, every move I make will be watched and judged by people who couldn't have cared less about me before."

Trinity hadn't felt this helpless since the deaths of Switch and Apoc. She hated being the bystander, and watching as he struggled to deal with so much inward stress and turmoil. It made her feel frustrated, and that frustration was turning into anger.

"Well, what do you want me to say, Neo?" She suddenly shouted at him suddenly, surprised at the sound of her own voice. "There's nothing I can say or do that will make it all better. I wish I had all of the answers to your problems, but I don't. It's making me feel so helpless."

They sat in stunned silence, gazing into each others eyes, unable to believe what Trinity had just said. Neo felt horrible and selfish for unintentionally making her feel as if he was turning to her for answers to his problems, when really all he wanted was for her to be with him.

"I don't want to fight." He said quietly after some time had passed, not daring to look her in the eye as he spoke. "Not now…not when I really need you."

Trinity immediately felt ashamed of herself for shouting at him, as it was obviously the last thing he needed at the moment. All he needed was for her to support him. Her eyes filled with sympathy as she placed her hand gently on his thigh.

"Don't feel like you need to have all the answers." He continued. "I'm the one who should know what to do about all this. I wish I was more confident."

"You don't need to be. You're the One, but that doesn't mean you need to know what to do in every situation. Your job is to end the war, not to sense things that are going to happen in advance, or to solve every conflict. You don't have to be perfect."

Without so much as a second thought, he put both arms around her neck and embraced her tightly, a mixture of complex emotions overwhelming him. Trinity was right – he shouldn't expect so much of himself, although it was hard not to when an entire race was depending on you. And now everyone knew who he was…now he would have to live with constant publicity, putting an end to all the peace and privacy he had enjoyed so much before. But as Trinity had said, he would just have to learn to cope with it. Nobody had ever told him that being the One was an easy task, after all.

(o)

After a brief hearing with the Council, in which he was told nothing more than what Harman had said to him before, Neo decided to find Vivianna, but not before returning to his room to tell Trinity where he planned to go.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" She asked worriedly, thinking that it would be best if he remained in their room for a while – at least until things started to die down.

"I'll be fine." He reassured her. "There's no point trying to hide, because I'm going to have to address them soon anyway."

"When?"

"Tomorrow night. The Council want me to make a formal statement to the people, just saying that I'm the One, or something, at a temple gathering they're arranging." Neo paused to take in a breath of air, still sickened at the very thought of giving a speech. "I'm still not sure what I'm going to say, but I think I'm just going to improvise, and make it up as I go along. Writing a speech will make it even more nerve-racking."

Trinity nodded to show she understood. "Come back soon then."

He headed towards the hospital first, figuring that they would be able to tell him where Vivianna lived if she wasn't at work, and did his best to ignore those who stared at him, and said as little as possible to others who approached him.

"Vivianna is tending to some patients with the Matron." The woman at the front desk informed him while eyeing him suspiciously. "I'll let her know you're here if you want to wait."

"Thank you." Neo mumbled, not at all keen on standing around in the open waiting room. Luckily, it wasn't long before Vivianna came rushing towards him in her white nurse's robe, her face flustered with excitement.

"Good to see you, Neo." Vivianna said with a small smile. The expression on her face told him that there was something more she wished to say, but was holding it back for the time being. He guessed it had something to do with his being the One.

"Councilor Harman said you wanted to talk to me about Lorena." He said, lowering his voice before he continued. "Did you check her medical files?"

"We can't talk about this here." Vivianna replied hastily. "Come with me."

She silently led him into an elevator, up to a higher level and down a corridor until they reached an empty, single ward. Quickly, she pushed him inside, stepping in behind and shutting the door after her.

"It's safe to talk here." Vivianna explained. "This room is pretty out of the way, and I doubt we'll be overheard."

"Good." Neo leaned against the wall as she lowered herself into a chair beside the bed. "So, did you manage to check the files?"

Vivianna nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I did. I was helping Matron sort through some of the files and I came across Lorena's. I managed to catch a glimpse inside, which was more than enough for me to store it in my memory. The page tells me that she's a Zion-born, and that her mother died quite some time ago, caused by a spreading infection that she refused to get any treatment for. Other than that, everything seemed pretty normal."

"Really?" Neo asked in confusion. "No other problems?"

"Not health wise, no." Vivianna answered. "But I trusted you when you said something was up, so I decided to go and meet her for myself by using the address that was written on the paper. I spent some time with her…just talking and stuff…eventually she blurted something out to me."

Vivianna cleared her throat, dark eyes welling with emotion as she searched for the right words. "Lorena's being raped. Not just once. It's been happening for a while, up until the point where she's almost been driven to insanity."

"Holy shit." Neo exclaimed, hardly having expected her to say something like this.

"I know. I didn't expect it either, until she started saying that she was his prisoner, and that she didn't know what to do. I told her to report it to the Council, but she refuses to let me say anything to anyone else."

"Did she say anything about the guy? His name?" He prompted.

"She refused to tell me that either. But I do know that it's still happening even now, and it's, literally, making her go insane. If she doesn't get help for it soon…well, I'm terrified of what it will do to her mental health." She paused, as if contemplating her next sentence before standing and moving closer towards him. "I asked her about you, and she admitted that she'd been asking you for help. When I asked her why, she told me it was because she'd overheard someone say that…that you were the One."

Neo suddenly remembered the first time he had ever seen Lorena, in the Mess Hall, while he and Trinity were sitting with Tank and his family. Link had mentioned that Neo was the One, and Lorena had continuously turned around to stare at him throughout the course of the meal. Like many other people, she had hoped that he would somehow miraculously find an answer to her problems.

He had been so engrossed in what Vivianna was telling him that had momentarily forgotten about his own problems with publicity, which seemed so trivial now when compared to Lorena's constant suffering. But still, he couldn't help but wonder if Vivianna had been told he was the One, and then had been the one who unintentionally started the rumor by sharing it with some of her friends. He knew that if this was true, then it could hardly be her fault, but even so, she was a friend whom he both trusted and respected, and it would hurt to know that she was the cause of adding additional stress and anxiety to his life. However, he didn't believe it was the right time to ask her.

"I know it must be hard for you right now…dealing with all this publicity on top of everything else. I mean, you must already have so much to think about, without wanting to worry about other people and their opinions of you. And now you've got Lorena to think about as well…I suppose it's all just too much."

"Vivianna –" He began, but she cut him off before he could finish.

"Neo, I wanted to talk to you about Lorena…but there was something else I've been meaning to say." She gulped, blushing as she took another step towards him and placed a trembling hand on his sleeve. Her long waves black hair fell over her shoulders, and her brown eyes glistened with an emotion that was familiar to him, and yet unfamiliar at the same time.

"W-When I met you that day in the hospital, I-I felt really connected to you, like we were meant to be friends or something." She stammered. "I just want to let you know that I'm here for you, a-and that I really care about you."

Neo wanted to tell her how thankful he was to have her as a friend, but never had the chance. After only hesitating briefly, she put her arms around his neck, and her lips were touching his before he even had a chance to stop her. Gasping in shock, he pulled away from her instantly, moving slightly to the side so he could step back. She looked at him in surprise, as if this was the last thing she expected him to do.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded.

"What do you mean?" She said timidly. "I don't understand. I really like you, Neo. I thought that…that…"

"No!" Neo shook his head firmly, and began pacing back and forth in front of her. "No, no, no!"

"You mean you couldn't tell?" Vivianna continued with a nervous laugh. "I thought it would be obvious from the day we met. I was worried you'd think I was desperate or something, the way I was flirting with you. I even tried to tell you a few times, but it never seemed like the right moment."

And now is the right moment? He thought angrily to himself. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it. The way he felt as if she was better not knowing about his relationship with Trinity…the way she would blush sometimes when he smiled at her…the way she always wanted to spend time with him.

"Look, Vivianna…I told you last time I was here that I'm already in a relationship with someone." Neo put an end to his pacing and said this as gently as he could.

"I know that, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about it…trying to get you out of my head. But I can't, that's the problem." Her voice rose higher with every word until it was barely distinguishable as her own anymore. "I even risked my future as a nurse by breaking the rules to get Lorena's file, and it was all because of you. It's weird, because I don't know why I like you so much. I just do. In fact, I think I'm in love with you."

The words echoed off the surrounding walls, sounding surreal and leaving a deadly silence in their wake. Neo was unsure of what to say, for he knew himself just how difficult it was to admit something like that. He didn't want to hurt Vivianna, but it seemed as though he didn't have any other option.

"You don't love me, Vivianna, you only think you do."

"No! It's not like that! It's different with you." She argued feebly. "I've had relationships before, Neo, but you're the first person I've ever met who I feel connected to."

"Vivianna, I'm really sorry." It almost hurt him to say it to her, for the look in her eyes was so full of hope. "I love Trinity, and that's not going to change."

I love Trinity. That was the first time he remembered ever saying those three words together. It was the first time he had ever actually told anyone else that he loved Trinity. And even though he knew that he shouldn't be thinking this way at a time like this, he had to admit that it felt pretty damn good to say it.

"I just thought…I mean, I hoped…" Tears were brimming in the corners of her eyes. He wanted to hug her, but he was afraid to do it. Instead, he shook his head sadly once more before turning and hurrying out of the room.

(o)

A/N: This was an establishing chapter, to give everyone a taste of what is to come. I wanted to get to the resolution of most of Neo's minor problems out over the next few chapters, and I thought it would be interesting as a writer to explore Neo's mental state over the next few chapters as he tries to deal with Vivianna, Lorena, and most importantly, the people of Zion and his being the One all at the same time. If anyone has any suggestions on ways in which I will be able to convey the way Neo is feeling at this point, or suggestions on how you think he should be feeling right now, the advice will be much welcomed!

Thanks for reading, please review!