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When Bree's ashen eyes finally fluttered open, she found herself alone, laying in her bed at home, and feeling like crap. She waited until her vision became normal again to move. Finally able to see clearly, she quickly rolled over to her side and, half-hanging off the bed, was violently sick over the edge. Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, she felt slightly better, but only just. She flopped onto her back again with a sigh, staring at the ceiling for a moment. With a deep breath she lugged herself up into a sitting position just as Ace poked his head into the room.
"Morning, sunshine," he said with a grin, "Good to see you up and about." Watching him step forward into the room, Bree rolled her eyes.
"I'm up," she said dully, "I'm not about. Ace shrugged and pulled a chair over for him to sit in backwards. Bree took a deep breath, the action turning into a wince as it ended. Her head was throbbing mercilessly. She lifted her right hand up to possibly massage the pain away, but noticed for the first time that it was heavily bandaged.
"So how long have I been asleep?" she asked, examining her hand with interest.
"Uh, a couple days, not really sure the exact time," Ace said informatively.
"And do we know the cause for my loss of consciousness?" she asked, still looking her wrapped limb over. At this Ace became a little awkward, but Bree barely noticed.
"Emotional stress and, um, blood loss," he spouted out clumsily. Again, Bree seemed oblivious to his strange behavior, and nearly nodded her hand in satisfaction of his answer when the voice sounded in her head again. Trinity's words brought her attention around so she looked sharply up at Ace.
"Ace," she said slowly, "What else is wrong with me?" Ace tried to look confused, but full focused now, Bree saw through it straight to his true nervous demeanor.
"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to sound convincing. He wasn't doing that great of a job. Bree became sterner; because it was clear to her he was hiding something.
"Tell me. Now." She could almost see her nostrils flaring, and her eyes narrowing in that threatening way. It had always worked on Ace...up until now. There was a long silence as she waited for an answer. When he remained quiet, expertly avoiding eye contact with her, she sighed with aggravation and leaned back against the wall.
"I'm going to be a father," Ace suddenly said in a whisper under his breath. The words left his lips so soft and barely audible, that Bree almost didn't hear them. However, she did, and her reaction was nothing if not remnant of Ace's behavior just moments before. She fell into a complete and utter quietude. Unlike Ace though, she stared blankly at him for what must have been some time before finally finding her voice.
"What...did you say?" she squeaked, her voice seeming to strain with the effort of speaking. A smile spread across Ace's boyish features, and his head finally rose to look at her. Bree felt him take her hand in his, but her mind was mainly hanging on the words that were coming from his mouth.
"I, well you, we...were going to be parents," he finally managed to fumble out.
In the short course of Bree's life here in the real world, she had never shown any expression of shock of surprise since being unplugged. Now, however, she was finding it hard to hide these emotions. Her eyebrows both arched as her eyes widened and her mouth hung slightly open as she stared at Ace. It was a while before she could find her voice, but the first thing she said may not have been the best thing, especially with Ace being as obviously ecstatic as he was.
"I think I need some more sleep," she said wearily.
Aces expression changed rapidly from confusion to understanding, then to a diluted form of dismay. He managed to nod his head slowly and stood up to leave. As he shuffled his way to the door, Bree experienced an extreme pang of guilt. She was thrilled at the news, she really was. It was just so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, or at least the last twenty-four hours shed been conscious, and she was having a difficult time getting it to set.
"Ace," she called just as he was about to turn out the door. He turned around and looked back in her direction as she beckoned him to her with her finger. When he reached the bedside again she leaned forward and kissed him for a long moment. Pulling back slightly she held his face in her pallid hands to gaze deep into those baby blue eyes that had drawn her to him in the first place.
"I guess that would account for the vomiting," she said smirking. Though he appeared to be trying to hold it back, a small bit of laughter escaped his throat. Bree smiled wide at that and gave him another quick kiss.
"I'm happy," she told him, "I promise. Now go celebrate...you're going to be a father."
The last bit was said in a happy whisper, the idea of her words seeming to finally settle within her. He was going to be a father, and she a mother. It was an overwhelmingly happy thought, but at the moment she was too tired to go and celebrate with him. He probably wouldn't celebrate anyway, and just wander about Zion in a daze. With a smile and curled back up in the bed and listened to Ace finally exit the room. Her eyes slowly drooped and she fell back into slumber.
It was late afternoon when Bree awoke for the second time. She sat up, and felt like she wanted to throw up once more, but realized there was nothing in her stomach to come back up. She had not eaten since before going into the Matrix, and now she was really hungry. Slowly she got out of bed, and dragged her vigorless form into the kitchen area where she set a pot to boil. She nibbled on a piece of bread as she watched her water begin to bubble.
The unmistakable sound of someone pounding on the steel door that led into her home brought Bree's attention away from her meager, half-eaten plate of food. Rising from her chair she went to open the door. The sight that met her brought a cheerful smile to her face, and she raised her bandaged hand up in a greeting.
"Hello, Captain Roland," she said brightly, "Good to see you." The captain smiled back and nodded.
"Likewise," he said, at first happily, and then he returned to being serious, "Commander Morpheus has requested your presence in his office." Finished giving the message, he turned to his side and stomped back down the metal aisle.
Bree stood in her doorway for some time staring after him, before darting back inside her house. She grabbed a ragged sweater and quickly shoved it over her tangled head as she hurried out the door which she had left open. Shutting it behind her with her foot she jogged swiftly down the hall in the same direction as Roland. What could Morpheus possibly want with her now? She kept going over possibilities in her head as she walked, hoping one would present a positive feeling.
The large door that she remembered from a few days ago was in sight and she was no more then thirty feet from it when she suddenly stopped. She stood for just a moment before running quickly over the rusty railing over which she leaned and lost what little lunch she had managed to consume. Spitting the last chunk out of her mouth, she swiped her sleeve across her lips and made to walk away, but grabbed the railing and leaned back over it.
"Sorry," she called weakly down to the person who was now furiously wiping the vomit from their shirt and glaring up at Bree from where they stood. Casting an apologetic smile down at them, she turned and continued the short way that remained to Morpheus office.
Pushing the heavy door open she paused. Staring back at her were two people, one of them of course being Morpheus, and the other being Ace. Getting over her initial surprise, she resumed movement and strolled across the threshold to take a seat in the chair beside Ace in front of the large desk. She smiled at Morpheus who smiled back serenely with a nod of his bald head, his hands folded on the surface of the desk.
"You asked to see me?" she said politely.
"Yes," Morpheus said, unfolding his arms and leaning backwards in his chair, "First I'd like to congratulate you and Ace both." It took a moment for her to realize what he was taking about. When she did she smiled and nodded happily.
"Yes, it's definitely a little bit of a bright light right now," she said with a nod, trying to keep the vague images of Stella's body from her mind.
"Athena and Cyril will be very pleased by this news." Bree raised both of her dark brows as she thought of Morpheus and Niobe's two riotous toddlers whom she and Ace had babysat many times. Each time had made the two wish even more that the parents would stop asking them to do so. Even so, however, the two children were fairly pleasant beings and quite likeable.
"Yes, I'm sure they will be, but sir, I know this is not why you asked me to come here. You could have told me all of this at my home." Morpheus sighed, leaning back forward and replacing his hands upon his desk.
"You are scheduled to leave Zion tomorrow," he said plainly.
"But The Neo is not due to set sail for three more days at least, not tomorrow," Bree said, confused.
"That is because you no longer work aboard The Neo. You have been reassigned to a different ship."
"I've been what! No, you can't do that. Only the captain can reassign his or her crew to another position or ship." With that said she swiftly turned her head to the right and looked at Ace. Her expression of puzzlement quickly shifted to one of befuddled dismay. For the second time that day, Ace was averting her gaze.
"Ace?" she said timidly. He slowly turned to look at her, a pained look of apology on his face.
"Bree," he pleaded, "Please understand. I don't want you going back into the Matrix, and if you stay here that is what you will do. It's too much of a risk to take. I could lose you, or we could lose the baby." Bree did not say anything for a long time. She merely looked back and forth between the two men with a look of utter shock and betrayal on her face. Finally she sighed, and turned away from Ace, not looking at him again the rest of the time.
"So which ship have I been reassigned to?" she asked bitterly.
"The Nostradamus," said Morpheus, still calm as ever.
"Nostradamus?"
"He was a French-"
"I know who Nostradamus is," she said impatiently, "I meant what is the Nostradamus. It's not a fleet name I recognize."
"It is the replacement ship for the Logos on the fleet," Ace piped up, probably in an attempt to get Bree to look at him. It didn't work.
"But Niobe is already committed to The Neo," Bree said, still focusing on Morpheus.
"I know that," he deeply.
"Then who is captaining this ship?"
"That would be me," came a voice from the doorway. Without looking back Bree inwardly groaned and hung her head slightly. Revolving ever so slowly in her seat she looked at the man standing in the entrance to the office.
"Captain Lock," she said with a less respectful nod and smile then she would give others.
"Bree," Lock responded in much the same manner. Bree turned back around in her chair and looked at Morpheus, begging with him to reconsider this. She and Captain Lock had a long history of not getting along, even hating each other. Seeing she was not going to receive any help from the commander, she stood abruptly from her chair and strode over to stand firmly in front of the captain, who seemed quite surprised at this sudden movement.
"Ok, since it doesn't look like this idea is going to be reconsidered by those who made it happen," she said, finally looking at Ace, though it was not the kind of look he wanted, "Lets get one thing straight right off the bat. I don't like you, and you don't like me, so I am not going to be like your little drone around the ship. I will do things my own way, on my own time, and I expect you to listen if I have a suggestion. I will not, however, hinder the production of the ship in any way; I will do my part to help out. Also, you are not to treat me any worse then the other crew members. Now, if you do not like these terms you are free to decline the notion of my joining your ship, but since I know you wont do that I would appreciate it if you told me when I am to report to you tomorrow."
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Lock stood speechless, opening and closing his mouth like a cod fish. Bree tried not to smirk with satisfaction at his reaction, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching. After a few minutes Lock seemed to finally come to his senses again and stood rigid and professionally in front of her, staring down at the independent woman before him.
"Noon, don't be late," he said gruffly. He then turned and strode from the office room, obviously a little disgruntled. Sighing, Bree turned back to the two other men still remaining in the office. Both were staring at her expectantly, and she just continued to stare back blankly.
"You are both going to pay for this," she said, before storming out of the office herself, leaving a weary Morpheus, and a melancholy Ace behind her.
Bree walked for a long time, not really seeing where she was going and just letting her feet take her to where they wanted to go. How long she continued like this was forever unknown to Bree, but in what seemed to her like ages, she found herself once again in the Sections. Not hesitating this time she made her way down the long aisle until she reached the silver plaque that held the name of one she still held dear to her heart. Reaching up she stroked the smooth metal and managed a smile.
"I saw him Trin," she said softly, "He's still around. I still can't believe it, but I saw him with my own eyes. When he hugged me, he felt so real, but he was only a memory. Smith got to him though, and now his memory is probably gone from the Matrix. But what does that matter right? I still have my memories of him, and my memories of you." Taking a step back she sat down, cross-legged, on the ground before the final resting place of her friend.
"I haven't told Ace you were the one who really told me that I was...well pregnant," she said, faltering a little as she was still becoming used to the idea, "But I don't think it's that big of a deal. Can you believe it though? I mean I'm going to be a mother. I never imagined myself as a mother before. You think I'll do well?" As the words left her mouth the voice that had become ever so familiar to her spoke in her mind. Bree smiled and chuckled.
"Yeah, well, you have to encourage me, but you're right. And I know Ace will be great father. He's already in love with the idea. Me? Well I'll get used to it in time, but right now I'm just thinking about my reassignment. I have to sever under Lock! I can't believe that Ace would do this to me." There was the voice again.
"I know," Bree said with a childish sigh, "I know he's just trying to protect me, and the baby. But Lock? Of all the captains on the fleet. I guess I'll have to put up with it huh?" Bree listened as her mental friend spoke to her one more time. Then she nodded, smiled, and gaze up at the silver plaque. She got to her feet, and began walking back down the aisle, throwing one last glance backwards before disappearing out of sight of the silver sign.
Arriving home, Bree was a little more cheerful then she had been all day. She still didn't like the idea of being on the same ship as that...well Captain Lock, but she could tell there was no way around it. She shoved the heavy door to her home open with her shoulder. Stepping in she shut the door behind her and looked around, not seeing Ace immediately. Puzzled, she walked into the main living quarters and saw him sitting on the couch with his head propped up on his linked hands, and staring away at nothing. Giving a sigh, Bree felt a small pang of guilt and walked slowly forward, taking a seat beside him.
"Ace?" she asked, placing an arm around him, "Come on, it's alright. I'm not mad."
"You should be," he murmured miserably, his lips barely moving, "I betrayed you, and I deserve to be hated." Bree rolled her eyes and tightened her one-arm grip around him.
"Ace, I'm not mad at you alright. I don't like the fact that I'm going to be working on the same ship as someone I utterly despise, but I'm not mad at you." With her free hand she grasped his face and turned him around to face her.
"I love you," she said simply, planting a brief kiss upon his lips, "Never forget that." The two smiled at each other, before Bree finally gave a laugh as something very humorous was spoken in her mind.
"Why Lock though?" she asked, pulling back slightly from Ace, who took on a look like a child who knew that a reprimand was on the horizon.
"He's the only one who won't let you into the Matrix from the ship's jack room," he said, wincing, as though waiting for a blow.
Bree actually thought about this for a moment. In truth, she had not thought of re-entering the Matrix since she had awoken earlier that day. She supposed it had a lot to do with Stella being dead, but maybe she was just afraid learning more then she wanted to now. Now though, even if she wanted to she knew she wouldn't be able to. Ace was right; Lock was the only one who wouldn't let her into the Matrix if told he was not to.
"Well," she said with a yawn, "I guess I should probably get to be. I have a big day tomorrow." She hugged Ace, kissed him goodnight and head off to the bedroom. Ace normally lingered awake for many more hours, just thinking or occupying himself. He was what you might call an insomniac. Bree had grown used to this and learned to think of the sounds of his movements as soothing music that helped her to sleep. Tonight though, she did not need it. She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.