DISCLAIMER: The Matrix Characters and the Universe are not mine.

NOTE: Sorry it took so long. I was sure I did publish this chapter a few weeks ago, and when I sat to write the next one today – there it was. So. Here you go. Enjoy!

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MATRIX 4: RESURRECTION by -yannik-

Chapter Four – ONLY WITH YOU

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They both looked at Phoebe, startled with her words, not comprehending them fully.

Trinity was the first to snap out of the initial shock. "Can we talk alone?" she asked.

"Of course" the program smiled, and gently left the room.

"I rather thought about talking in the real world!" Trinity screamed at the closed door. She run there, though she knew this was to no avail – she tried to open them many times before, but they weren't programmed to respond to a human mind.

"No." She was startled by a soft voice from behind her back. Neo was looking straight at her. "I don't want to talk in the real world" he whispered, looking so vulnerable.

She was shocked by this. "But…" she couldn't find words.

"I want to see you."

That left her speechless for a moment, a large lump forming in her throat.

"They can hear us" she stammered finally. "In here."

"No they can't. They shot us off. Trust me."

She looked at him. Really looked, really long. And then she came closer. She wanted to hold him, but something kept her at arm's length. Some anger, disappointment. "Okay then" she started. "What did you mean? We must go back! I want to go back, I don't want to stay in this… V.R. thing!" She let her eagerness go loose, but then held it back in check. And then she added one more argument, in a child-like pleading voice. "And I miss Morpheus, and Zion, and everything."

"Then go" Neo whispered, and caught her off guard again.

"Alone?"

"You heard her. One of us has to go anyway."

"She can't force me!

"Trin…"

They both stopped. They both gazed intently into each other's eyes, and it was like electricity. Like silent communication. Like telepathy.

But still she spoke her mind. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm just not. Forget it. I want to go back, you know it. But if you don't want it, then we'll just stay. What can they do?"

"Trinity…"

"Don't. Think about it. We'll do it your way. So it's your call." She gave him one last stern look and called the machines at the top of her lungs. "I want to get out!"

"They can't hear you" Neo reminded. "I told you – they shot us off."

Trinity gritted her teeth and walked to the door purposefully. She knocked them hard. At first sight of Phoebe, she spat: "Let me out."

"All right." Trinity disappeared, before Phoebe even finished speaking. Then the program looked at Neo. "What decision have you made?" she asked in a serious tone.

Neo took a deep breath before he answered. He wasn't sure how she would take it. "We're not going."

She cocked her head to the side. "That's unacceptable" she replied simply.

"I don't want to" Neo started explaining. He hoped that if he told her how he felt, then maybe she'd understand. "I'm not ready… I won't be able to see in Zion, and… That would make me useless. I don't want that." He watched her indifferent features, and he knew there was no compassion in these un-human minds. He finished his statement nonetheless. "Trinity says that she wouldn't leave without me."

"Then you must convince her" Phoebe answered coldly. "Or you must go together. Either - it's irrelevant. We need to know what is happening in Zion. And you're the ones who will tell us."

"What for?" Neo shrugged. "Zion was never under your control, and it had never bothered you."

"That's not entirely true. We always had some data, and that was enough for time being. But this time we need the exact data. We need to know exactly what is going on. So you must go there and then come into the matrix and tell us.

"I'm sorry." He threw his hands in a desperate gesture. "I don't know how I can convince Trinity to leave. She's stubborn and…"

"Find the way" Phoebe cut in. "I'll send you to the real world now, so you can talk to her. As soon as the Logos leaves – you may come back into the V.R."

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As her voice faded, Neo found himself in darkness once more. In darkness full of dizzying golden currents. "Trin?" He held his breath, trying to hear her before she spoke. He rose hesitantly, trying not to stumble.

She did not approach him, did not hold his hand to steady him. "I'm here." She stood in the far corner of the place.

He had to tell her to go.

He wanted her to stay, he wanted her with him, but not like this. Not being able to see her. Not being able to see anything. Not being able to fight, to help rebuild Zion, to do anything at all. He didn't want to go back, he had nothing to go back to.

She – on the other hand – did.

They had to part. He had to go back to the V.R. as Phoebe promised him, and she had to leave for Zion.

This was going to be one of the hardest things he did. The hardest maybe. His heart was breaking knowing that they may never get together again, after he had been certain he already had lost her – to get her back once more. When he was fighting Smith, he had nothing to lose; he had everything in front of him now, and he was about to send it away all by himself.

"You must go" he stammered through clenched teeth.

If she could only know what she would give him by going away! The possibility to see… because V.R. was the only chance for him to see now…

"Not without you" she whispered pleadingly.

He heard her voice crack, he heard tears, pain, sorrow. He couldn't let her suffer so! He couldn't let himself suffer. He couldn't let them be apart, even if it meant living in darkness.

He couldn't see her face. Her eyes, ready to answer "if that's what you want – I'll go". Because she was about to say it out loud, but her face spoke it first. Only he could not see it.

So he was the one to speak first. "Alright then. Let's go."

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t.b.c.