a/n: Thanks always to everyone who is reviewing - and to those of you who are yearning for more "Neo and Trinity" closeness, I am trying to oblige through The Last Exile. Although, these next few chapters (which have been sliced in two because they are a bit long for one sitting) do focus on the Neo/Trinity dynamic.

In this story, Neo and Trinity have been married for 20 years (which is a long time, even for the often hot 'n heavy Neo and Trin) - they've been through A LOT and their story is wroght with struggle. But through it all, they have loved each other - and this is what inevitably brings them back together. Enduring Love.

Chapter 14, parts 1 and 2, and Chapter 15, parts 1 and 2 will reaveal a great deal about their past, and their story, fromRevolutions on. How did they survive 01? Why did they drift apart after thewar? And where will they go from here?

Enjoy! - Syd

Chapter 14, Part 1

Brow furrowed and fingers pressed tightly to his lips, David paced back and forth, brooding. It was oh-two hundred hours Zion time, and the Nebuchadnezzar was still out of contact. His father would be worried, his mother overwrought. And he could only imagine what poor Rorie was going through. Both her parents…

David knew well that losing Neo and Trinity would be her worst fear realized. He and Rorie were alike in this respect; their families meant everything to them. Or perhaps the singular form of this noun would be more fitting: family. Indeed, it would be inappropriate for David to consider Neo and Trinity as anything less. They were not only his godparents but, between the bulkheads of this ship, he considered them all but equal to the real thing. And as for Rorie, there was to be no careful use of semantics in this case. As far as David was concerned, she was his little sister (although if he ever called her that out loud, she'd probably floor him).

The son of Zion's most influential Council Member pulled his sweater tightly around his waist and breathed some warmth onto his fingertips. The sun had set and it was dark, leaving the crew to work by the eerie glow of their emergency flashlights. He had been tinkering with their deflector for hours with the goal of repairing the damaged power relay, and although he had made significant progress, the incentive to continue was wearing thin. He was cold and exhausted. Everyone was.

"David? Are you alright?" Hawk-Eye touched his arm. "Here, take a blanket."

Without waiting for him to accept her offer, the doctor wrapped a red and green chequered quilt around his body. She'd already bundled herself up with a pink bedspread, and static electricity was repelling tangled gossamers of her fine blonde hair into a halo around her head. She could have been a child at a slumber party, David thought; flashlight in hand, lightly freckled cheeks flushed from a particularly active round of hide and seek, her two round blue eyes alert but sleepy from staying up past her bedtime.

Strangely, everyone seemed smaller in this place, their insignificance made evident by the endless black void imposing like a monster above their heads. The sky swallowed them completely, six tiny figures who didn't belong, out of place and far from home. If one took six grains of sand from a beach and tossed them into the sea-bound breeze, would God care where they landed?

"Has the Captain returned?" David asked softly.

"She and Neo are back. They're changing into some dry clothes." The elusive essence of humour warmed her round, friendly features. "Apparently, the lake is secure."

He nodded, relieved. The suggestion of playfulness between Neo and Trinity was comforting. If all was well between them, then perhaps there was hope after all. If the Universe smiled on their love, then surely someone out there must care about what happens to them.

"Trinity wanted me to assemble the crew for a staff meeting outside, ten minutes. She wants your status on the com."

"Outside?"

"Um-hum." Hawk-Eye handed him a tin mug. "She said you'll need this. And you're supposed to bring a stick, about the length of your arm, preferably from a live branch."

"Oh?"

"That's not the least of it. She's got Kirk collecting stones, and Knight peeling birch bark off trees. And my job is to bring a bucket of water. The great Lord above only knows why. No explanation, and she was deadly serious. Just orders. What do you think?"

"I think she's been known to do stranger things under more desperate circumstances," David replied evenly. "So if the Captain wants sticks, then that's our mission."

Hawk-Eye smiled at him fondly, eyes sparkling in the dark. "You have such faith in her," she whispered. "You don't even question it… not even for a second. Why is that, David?"

"My father gave me only one piece of advice when I took this post," he said, offering the southern belle his arm with an understated chivalry, a rare quality instilled in him since his youth. He helped her over debris and down the main shaft of the ruined ship, holding her by the waist as she hopped down onto solid ground. The stars were brilliant above them, the light of a three-quarter moon shining like a distant beacon in the sky.

She shivered, and David kept Hawk-Eye close, sharing his blanket with her. His breath escaped in white puffs as he said, "My father told me, No matter what, always trust your Captain. She knows more than you could imagine."

The Captain of the Nebuchadnezzar cursed as she tripped over the tangled mess of metal that used to be her ship's kitchen. Hair still wet and fingers frozen, she rubbed her hands together as she bit her lower lip and hunted through the cupboards.

"What are you looking for?" Neo asked, bending over and shining the flashlight in the direction of her search.

"Gruel mix."

"That's your idea for improving crew morale?" He shook his head at her as she fumbled through pots and pans. "Why don't I just grab a few plasma guns and take then men out to… you know…" he sniffed and deepened his voice to a gruff rumble, "catch us some supper?"

"Oh yes, the alpha males to the rescue. I'm sure that Knight, who couldn't catch a bullfrog in the daylight by the way, is a natural hunter and provider." Trinity rolled her eyes before adding sardonically, "The chipmunks of this forest had better watch out!"

"Ouch. You're being a bit rough on him, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I love Knight. After all, I picked him out myself, didn't I? Aha!" Trinity pulled out a battered kettle, a bowl and a few packages of dehydrated protein substitute.

"I only comment because ten minutes ago you yelled at the poor guy for biting his nails."

"It's a bad habit, unbecoming a soldier in Zion's fleet."

"And then you ordered him to get a haircut..."

"It's getting too long for my taste. That's all," Trinity said nonchalantly, adding a bag of refined sugar to her growing collection of supplies. "If he's going to be good enough for… for the army, then he should take more pride in his appearance. We do have protocolson this ship, you know."

"Or what's left of it." Neo looked around the room sadly. "Why do I feel that in twenty years, this has been the Neb's first real mission? She didn't fare too well, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I don't know if it's all that bad." Trinity shone the beam of her flashlight around. "I remember a time when the mess hall looked like this on a good day. Oh, Neo… do you have any more of those strawberries?"

He hesitated. "Yes… but I was hoping to save those for… our own private enjoyment. Like… light a few candles, slice up some passion fruit…"

"That's a good idea. Go into our quarters and find those scented candles you gave me for our anniversary, and a pack of matches."

"I didn't mean tonight, Trin." He pulled her close in the dark and lowered his voice. "My, that strawberry really did the trick for you, didn't it?"

"I'm serious," Trinity said sternly, slipping away and picking up her things. She pushed Neo into the hall. "And while you're there, look under the bed for that really old bottle of WD-40. If it survived, bring it."

"Are you sure?"

Trinity balled the ends of her sleeves around her hands and headed outside. "Our kids were baptized by fire today," she said. "I'd say that merits a drink."

Huddled together in the clearing next to the destroyed hovercraft were Trinity's crewmen, four bundled figures cast in the cool blue glow of their fluorescent lanterns. Trinity treaded carefully, straining her eyes against the dark to make out the scene unfolding in front of her, observing with interest the young adults under her change. Predictably enough, they'd paired-off in the usual fashion. Her co-pilot and medic were standing together, sharing a pair of blankets and talking. Every few seconds, David rubbed her arms and shoulders, then pressed her hands between his. Neither was smiling, though Hawk-Eye would nod intermittently as David spoke, quietly listening.

Kirk and Knight, on the other hand, had found their own method of combating the cold. They were scrambling about at the last minute, rushing to complete their unusual assignment by the time their Captain arrived. From what Trinity could tell, they were in the midst of some sort of competition, laughing as they raced each other back and forth from the brush, Knight with armfuls of bark, and Kirk with shirtfuls of rocks. But what the operator didn't realize was that every time his back was turned, Knight was sabotaging his efforts, stuffing handfuls stones into his pockets and emptying them back into the bushes.

Trinity smiled in spite of herself. Although she rarely let her affection show, the truth was she loved this crew… her crew. Over the years, Trinity had been given the privilege of working with some of the best the army had to offer, outstanding young men and women, many of whom had moved on to become colonels and admirals, all remaining close friends. But this group was something special. As a Captain, she could feel it. And, as always, one crewman in particular stood out to her.

Indeed, even as she watched Knight's clumsy attempts to conceal his pillaging (in his voracious greed he'd begun to fill the tiny pockets in his cargo pants as well) Trinity had to admit there was something about him. There always had been, beyond his skills at the computer, beyond his abilities in the sparring arena (he'd come close to beating her more than once) and beyond his playful, boyish disposition, Knight had something more. It was the same indefinable quality she'd seen in Neo a long time ago, a quality that suddenly made the Oracle's prediction all too believable. It was a very lovable quality.

Trinity's heart tightened in her chest as Neo joined her with the candles and a bottle of twenty year old booze. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah," she answered. "Just… watching them."

Knight had apparently been found out and was half-heartedly trying to defend his deplorable actions to Kirk, who was not pleased at all. "It was just too easy," Knight laughed, holding both hands up in mock surrender, coat and pants visibly heavy with stolen rocks. "I'm sorry, man. You're right. It wasn't cool. I totally apologise. Are we good? Truce?"

"When the Captain gets here, you're taking the heat for this!" Kirk pointed his finger at his friend. "You're always getting me into trouble with her. Not again!"

"Oh, relax." Knight kicked the leaves and bark he'd collected into a pile and dumped the remaining stones from his pockets. "If The High Priestess of the Forest wants more stones, I will personally volunteer to be her humble servant."

"If the Captain heard you call her that, she'd probably kill you."

"Hey, did you see what she did to those SWATs?" Knight threw a few punches into the air. "Un-be-lievable. And then, just when you think she's done, she pulls that brilliant stealth move at the last second, flooring two agents… Pow! Pow! They didn't even see it coming! Neo didn't even see it coming! There should be action figures of her… oh, and that outfit… I'm sorry, that was a whole new level of cool."

Neo chuckled and rubbed Trinity's back affectionately. "Go easy on him, Trin," he said. "The kid really loves you. He always has."

If only it stopped there, she thought, shaking her head at the one young man who never ceased to amaze her. She'd been called many things, but 'High Priestess of the Forest' was definitely a new one. In a brief fluke of egomania, she almost liked it.

"I think we should make our presence known before he says something we'll all regret," Trinity answered. "I'd hate to have to use the little monster as sentinel bait."

As they started towards the clearing, she intentionally dragged her feet noisily, noting with amusement how Kirk slapped Knight on the arm and pointed when he noticed they were coming. They both scuttled around, trying to look busy, Kirk racing back to the bushes and Knight tidying up the pile of supplies they'd accumulated.

"Hard at work, crewmen?" Neo asked with exaggerated authority.

"Urghm. Yes, sir," Knight said. "We had trouble finding rocks, though."

"Hmm." Neo looked at Trinity gravely. "Not enough rocks."

"Very disappointing." Trinity followed her husband's lead, consciously fighting to keep a straight face. They hadn't played this game since Rorie was a girl, but from what she remembered, they were pretty good at it.

"I can help Kirk get more," Knight offered, apparently surprised by how serious they both were. The smirk on his face was gone, and he'd begun to fiddle with the hem of his sweater, a nervous habit Trinity had noticed in him since he was twelve. He had always been a horrible liar.

"Typical. Kirk can't get his work done in time and it's Knight to the rescue," Neo continued. "No, not this time. He's going to face the consequences of his actions."

"I can't believe it," Trinity grumbled under her breath. "I thought I could trust him with this. I guess I was wrong."

"No, really. It's my fault," Knight stammered. "Kirk was helping me out with my work, and that's why he ran behind."

"Oh?" Trinity raised an eyebrow and looked him straight in the eye. "Is that so, cadet?"

"I'm really sorry, Captain. It won't happen again." Knight straightened his posture. "I promise."

"Hmm. I don't know. What do you think, Neo?"

"Well, he did call you Captain," Neo shrugged. "That's new. But I don't think it's quite enough…"

"Yes, I see what you mean." Trinity soaked in her victim's bewilderment with great satisfaction. "I've been thinking, Knight, that I'd prefer another title… something a bit more grandiose… tell me, what do you think of High Priestess of the Forest?"

David chuckled, and Hawk-Eye covered her mouth with her hand.

"Now, if only I had a humble servant at my disposal…" Trinity eyed each of the officers in turn before returning her attention to her mortified tactical officer. "Any volunteers?"

Knight was speechless, and Trinity could imagine his wanting to hang himself from the nearest tree. In an uncharacteristic bout of mercy, she threw him a bone. "Knight, I'm planning to make bannock tonight," she murmured to him. "I could use your… expertise with the fire pit."

He smiled sheepishly and stuttered, "Tee-pee or log-house, Captain?"

"Surprise me," Trinity answered, taking the dark red candles from Neo. She lit each one and arranged them in a triangle, melting them onto the rocks with liquid wax. "Alright, I want everyone to gather around here. It's time for a solemn pact. That is, whatever is said in this forest… stays in this forest. Understand?"

They all nodded, smiles creeping across their faces. Even David seemed amused, which was no small feat. Trinity could tell she was on the right track.

"Alright then," she said. "So Neo, you're helping me with supper and Knight is on campfire duty with the juniors. Keep Hawk-Eye's fire bucket close; if we burn down Genesis the Council will never let me hear the end of it."

"Try not to mix pine branches in the kindling," Knight added. "The sap makes it burn badly."

"How would you know?" Kirk asked.

"Knight was a Boy Scout. Québec division 31. He won the outdoor survival ribbon twice," Trinity stated matter-of-factly.

As his colleagues snickered, Knight glared at her for so flippantly betraying his eight-year long secret. Deciding all bets were off (and had been since the High Priestess slip), he fired back quickly, "And Trinity was a Girl Guide. Division 03, Montréal, 1973-1976. Three-time province-wide canoeing champ."

"What?" Neo exclaimed. "You're kidding!"

The entire crew held their breath and stared wide-eyed at Trinity, who had already begun to empty the gruel pouches into the bowl. Without looking up, she repeated dangerously, "We made a pact. All that is revealed tonight will remain among the members of this crew only. And if you all want to eat, I'd suggest you get moving."