KyLewin: Like you mentioned in your last review, although the scene with the Council was important, it was simply repeating a whole lot of stuff you already knew. Therefore I wanted to spend as little time on that scene as possible so as not to bore the reader to death. That is why the report Neo gave the Council wasn't all that detailed. As for the thing with Morpheus – that will be explained in this next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Trinity-Neo6: cough cough I must admit that I am a hopeless speller. Thanks for the correction – I'll try to remember to fix it up in the future.

6

He was in the Matrix – or at least he dreamt he was. Only the Matrix could generate the artificial beauty he saw before him, and yet make it realistic at the same time. The distant, pastel blue sky was cloaked by the many drifting white clouds, hovering above him like the wings of angels. The air was balmy…salty, with a gentle breeze wafting up to the park from the nearby beach. The ocean was so close to him that he could hear the shrieking laughter of children playing in the sunlight that streamed down on them between the clouds, and the sounds of the water lapping on the sandy shores. All was so tranquil…so beautiful it had to be real, and yet it wasn't at the same time.

It did not take him long to spy her, seated on a worn bench beneath a large oak tree. He had almost expected to find her there…expected to see her arrive from nowhere at any given time. The dappled sunlight cast shadows on the surface of her porcelain skin, highlighting the long, dark lashes that framed her eyes. Blue eyes …a blue as deep as the evening sky in winter, or the depths of the very ocean itself, her pupils large opal stones that had been cast into the water.

She hadn't seen him yet, for her eyes were fixed intently on the book she held in her hands, clutched with long, deathly fingers. But he was certain she knew he was there, for a small smile played in the corners of her prominent red lips. An evil smile…a cynical smile. She was a temptress. She held nothing sacred.

Dark coils of long, black ringlets swept across her face, shrouding it from view. The corners of the pages of her book flapped in the wind. Finally, she looked at him. Finally, her eyes of sapphire met with his own. With a shake of her head, the hair flew out of her face and cascaded down to her back. Her crimson lips were wet and bright against her china skin as she smiled a small, half smile. She seemed to beckon him…call him forward silently…will his feet to move.

His feet were bare. He could feel the grass below him…long, thick and spongy. Untamed as it swayed in the afternoon breeze. He drew closer to her, though this time she did not try to run away, abandoning her old, childish games of hide-and-seek. Not once did her eyes flicker from his own. Their vision was locked…captivating…manipulating…enchanting. The scent of winter roses became stronger with each step, until it had consumed him completely. Each time he inhaled it he felt himself slowing creeping towards the path of insanity.

He had never been so close to her in her waking moments before, and now he could tell that she was younger than he had first thought she was…possibly in her early twenties. He could see each curve and line of her body. Her large, shapely hips. Her abundant breasts, rich, round and full beneath the flimsy material of the gown she wore. An unknown force drove him to sit down beside her – the bench was cold and hard beneath him. He was so close to her now that he could taste her hot breath. A wisp of her hair brushed against his cheek.

He knew he shouldn't be with her, even in his dreams. Trinity…what about Trinity? There were so many questions he needed to ask this woman. Who was she? Where had she come from? How did she find her way into his dreams? But like all dreams, he could not control his actions…his feelings…his thoughts. He was merely a spectator to these visions, and could no more control what happened than the rolling waves of the sea.

She laughed in her cruel and childish way. Mocking him, and yet drawing him closer to her at the same time. What sort of woman could do that to him? How could he hate her, and yet love her at the same time? She leant her body against him, pressing her head into his shoulder. It was the first time they had ever touched…she was softer than anything he could imagine.

"Yes…that's it." She whispered, though still her voice was young and foolish. Her eyes had closed softly, her lashes long, thin and dark, brushing the top of her cheekbone. Her lips parted slightly…ever so slightly. He watched her quietly, listening to the sounds of her rhythmic breathing, feeling the beating of her heart as she nestled into his unwilling embrace. "Extinguish the flames…ease the burning in my body. I need you, Neo. Only you can do it for me. You need to be in love with me…you have to be in love with me."

He told himself that if he were not bound by the dream, he would have pulled away…walked away and waited for it to end. But he wasn't so sure if this was true. When she pressed her body against his, everything else was almost forgotten. Her words entranced him…hypnotized him. She was a gypsy…child of the devil…a china doll carved by the hands of a demon…

It ended as abruptly as it had begun. Soon, he found himself falling through swirling darkness. The touch of her body was lost from him, and had been replaced by the warmth of blankets laden atop him, binding him to an unknown bed. He twitched his fingers, testing to ensure that he truly was awake, proving to himself that the dream had been lost from him.

He knew that something was different even before he had opened his eyes. Once he became aware that he was no longer dreaming, he realized that the crusted sensation of dry blood had somehow been removed from his eyes. Slowly, he cracked them open, expecting to see only the light aura that radiated off each object as he had forced himself to become accustomed to. Instead, everything was suddenly overcome with a hazy glaze of brilliant white light before objects came into focus. He saw colour…he saw lights…

"I can see." He whispered. His voice was cracked and dry, and yet awestruck and bewildered at the same time.

"You've been able to see since the operation." Said a deep, male voice to his right. "You've been out cold for three hours."

Of course. He remembered now. The operation…the doctors and nurses swarming about…a sense of uncertainty. He shifted in his place, the blankets tucked in around him so tightly he was forced to remain strapped to the bed. He turned his head, only to see that the voice he had heard belonged to none other than Morpheus. His captain, father, and friend had been sitting beside his bed, waiting patiently for his waking. A rush of gratitude claimed him, for he was grateful that he had not woken alone. But at the same time, he could only wonder why Morpheus refused to look at him, but preferred to sit on the very edge of his seat and stare intently at the floor, hands clasped together and resting on his knees.

"It worked, then?" He asked, his voice returning to normal. "I remember...there was a lot of doubt about the success of the operation."

He heard a screech and peered around him for its source, before he noticed Creature sitting on the chair's armrest, nestled into his discarded old shirt. He felt the flimsy material of the white medical robe he wore beneath the blankets with his thumb and forefinger.

"Luckily, it did work." The other man smiled, though his eyes remained on the floor. "How are you feeling, Neo?"

"I feel fine." He answered truthfully. His headache was gone. His raw hands cleansed and bandaged where they needed to be. The bruises covering his body had been tended to. More importantly, he was no longer blind, though he was certain his vision would never be as sharp as it had been before.

"Trinity," He murmured. Fear swept over him…had she died while he had been sleeping? No, he could still feel her…still sense her presence somewhere in the building. But where? "Where is Trinity?"

"Trinity is fine. I came to see her before I came here. Her condition is stable, though they want her to stay here a while longer so that they can keep her under observation. The doctors have never encountered a patient who has risen from the dead before. They're going to want to ensure that she is at her best before they let her go."

"I-I need to see her." He said weakly, wiggling free from the blankets and pushing himself into a sitting position. The dream had frightened him. He had to see her…had to remind himself how much he loved her.

"No, Neo." Morpheus's voice cut into him sharply, holding him back. Why wouldn't he allow their eyes to meet? "I promise you can see her later. For now, you need to stay here, at least until a doctor arrives and tells you that you're in a good enough condition to leave."

He shook his head firmly in protest. "No. I need to see her." He repeated. He began to move again, desperate to free himself from the bed. Firm arms gripped his shoulder, holding him back. In that brief moment, their eyes were forced to meet, and he saw that there was something hostile…something uncertain in the other man's eyes. Almost untrusting. He did not attempt to move again.

"There's something different in you." Morpheus began slowly, settling back into his chair. He no longer tried to avoid eye contact. "I don't know what it is, but I could tell the moment I walked into the chamber at the back of the temple and saw you. Something's changed. Tell me, how did you defeat Smith? Did he attempt to take over your body?"

"Y-Yes." He stuttered, finally understanding why the other man had been avoiding him. "That was how I defeated him. Once my body had been joined to him, the machines were able to destroy the Smiths through me, seeing as I was connected to him."

"Then you should be dead." Morpheus reasoned. "Destroying Smith through you would destroy you as well."

"I know." He replied. "But the last time I went to see the Oracle, she told me that I was meant to be dead when I touched those sentinels, but I wasn't ready for it, and there still was something else I was meant to do. I guess it's the same now. I couldn't die, because there was something else I needed to do before I could."

"Did any part of Smith…" Morpheus trailed away. "…is there any way that a part of him could have rubbed off onto you?"

"Possibly." He pondered. With all that had happened, he hadn't thought to consider this. "But I would know if it did, wouldn't I? I would feel it."

"I suppose." Morpheus was clearly unconvinced. "I just have the feeling that…something has changed."

"A lot has changed, Morpheus." He sighed. He thought of his dreams…wondered if the angst he suffered from had become apparent on his face. But he was not ready to discuss them with anyone, at least not until he understood them. He knew, from experiences in the past, that the things he dreamed of had a habit of coming true.

Morpheus opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more, but the chance never came. The curtains that had been surrounding the bed were suddenly pulled back, and a doctor strode into the room. All was at once silent.

"Okay." The doctor said slowly, once the examination was complete. "Looks like you're good to go, Sir. Unless there's any problems you'd like to speak about."

He hated it when others called him 'Sir'. It was a formal title, used by those who held him in respect, and believed in him. He loathed that kind of attention…didn't need their patronizing. Not now, when he had fulfilled his purpose. Would they still call him 'Sir' when they realized there was nothing more he could do for them, now that he had completed what he had set out to do? But if he had survived when he was meant to have died…if he still had some purpose to fulfill, would he find himself with more publicity than he had now?

"No." He eventually replied. "There's nothing else. But, could you tell me where I can find Trinity?"

"Of course, Sir." The doctor nodded. "I'll call for a nurse to escort you."

The doctor left, and he was alone with Morpheus once more. Again, the captain had taken to avoiding his eyes, and seemed to be fascinated by his large, dark hands that were resting at his sides.

"Maybe you'll tell me what is different in you the next time we meet." The other man nodded politely. "I'll be seeing you later."

Morpheus peeled back the curtain and was gone, leaving him alone only for a few minutes in which he changed from the white medical robe he had been dressed in, to the old clothes that had been draped over the chair Morpheus had been sitting on. He'd only just slid his over-shirt on and allowed Creature to climb up onto his shoulder when the nurse finally arrived.

"Sorry for the delay, but we have been busy, as you know. I'm going to take you straight to Trinity's bed, as you requested." She beckoned him forward. "Please, follow me."

The nurse drew back the curtains, revealing the rest of the ward that lay beyond it. Each bed had been filled with a solider, moaning or gasping in pain. Some lay unattended to, their clothes stained with the glistening red blood of an open wound. Others had been treated, and were recovering from the rude shock of their operation…suffering from the memory of war. The nurse led him out of the ward as quickly as possible, and into a corridor outside. Everywhere, the sound of someone crying out in agony could be heard.

"There's a bed free in ward 101." The nurse informed a passing co-worker. "You can take an extra person."

"People are still waiting for beds, then," he said.

The nurse nodded. "Some have given up, but the majority are willing to fight it out to the bitter end. Most of them will never get the medical attention they deserve, because there simply isn't enough beds or staff to tend to them all. But we're doing the best that we can."

Trinity's ward was on the other side of the hospital complex, and the walk seemed endless. He reminded himself that each step took him further towards her. Closer…closer…closer…until the nurse eventually turned into a ward and led him to the end bed. He nodded to her in gratitude, then pulled back the curtains so that the bed became exposed, letting them fall closed again behind him.

She was dozing, her head propped up against the mound of pillows with the blankets tucked in around her tightly, binding her to the bed as they had done for him. Her eyes opened when she sensed his presence, and a small smile broke onto her lips. She was bedraggled and disheveled, her face a sickly shade of ashen grey. Her eyes were distant…hazy, and yet filled with love at the same time. She was not as he remembered her, insipid rather than strong. But she was still beautiful. She was still alive. That was more than he could have asked for. That in itself had left him speechless…unsure of what to tell her.

"Your eyes." She whispered, the smile never flickering from her face. "They've fixed your eyes."

"I can see you." He said, returning her smile with his own. "You're beautiful." How could he ever have explained to her in words how grateful he was to have her with him? How grateful he was that he didn't have to face everything alone?

She held out her arms to him and he came to her instantly, taking her in his embrace and holding her against him tightly, causing Creature to slide off his shoulder and onto the bed. He could feel the bandages doctors had tied around the wounds on her stomach and chest through the material of her white hospital gown. He couldn't help thinking that there was something pathetic about it all…the feeble way in which she had lain in that hospital bed…so unlike how she used to be. Where was the old Trinity? What had happened to her strength? Her pride? She had died…had been dead for some time. He supposed that after death things like pride mattered no longer. Not now, at least, when she was still recovering from the shock of all that had happened to her. Soon, he told himself, she would be back to the way she always was.

"I'm going to get better Neo." She reassured him, though he had the feeling she was saying it to comfort herself as well. "Then it will go back to the way it used to be."

"I know. I love you so much...so much…" He whispered into her ear as he held her. He could never love the woman from his dreams. Never, no matter how much she would beg him to. Besides, she was merely a figment of his imagination. She wasn't real…was she? Even if she was, it wouldn't matter. Soon enough, he hoped, the dreams would be gone from him completely, and with time he would forget about the scent of roses…her ringing, childish laughter. There was only Trinity. There was only ever Trinity. He could never love another in the way he loved her.

He pulled away from her, kissing her quickly on the forehead, relieved to find that she was no longer feverish. He hadn't heard the pounding footsteps rushing towards him from outside, and was surprised when the curtains were suddenly drawn back to reveal three unknown soldiers, their faces pale with worry. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her and focused all his attention on the newcomers instead.

"Sir," said one. "We were sent here by Commander Lock. There's been another sentinel in the dock."

"Another sentinel?" He shot Trinity a shifty glance from where she lay.

"Yes. That's right." Replied the solider. "It didn't attack anyone. It was perfectly harmless. But it brought a message from the machine city."

"How could it communicate with us? They don't know our language, and we don't know theirs."

"Their leader can understand our language. It sent a recorded voice message with the sentinel, making a request."

"What did the leader ask?" He raised his eyebrow.

"It requested that you return to their city immediately." The solider scowled. "It believes there are many things that the two you of need to discuss."

(o)

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!!