Once, after an especially spectacular - and very triangular - romantic implosion within the team, she'd quietly created a flow-chart on the whole mess to cheer Ghost up. He'd shaken his head and called her a cynic. She'd asked, which aspect of her analysis was flawed? He'd kissed her swiftly and said, none of it. As you well know. Now get your ass back to work before I fire you; I don't want an unemployed spouse. We do have a home loan, you know. She'd looked at him, eyebrows raised. Home loan? Least of your problems. Can you imagine me as a housewife? Ghost had been silent for a moment, and then said, Christ. That's a terrifying mental image. Never, ever allude to it again.

Sometimes, she missed him so terribly it winded her.

"Who's on the ship?"

Ghost was thrown. Neo hadn't seemed as happy to see him as he'd expected - had seemed defensive, in fact. And this abrupt enquiry was almost his first remark - he'd barely said hello. "Niobe and Morpheus," he said. "Link's operating for us. Why?"

"That everyone? Nobody else at all?"

"Everyone, yes. Why, Neo?"

"No Sparks?"

"No, Sparks said hell would freeze over before he set foot on a ship again."

Neo didn't smile; merely nodded. "Okay."

"Neo? What's going on?"

Neo didn't speak - couldn't speak, it looked like. Ghost suddenly knew something was very wrong. He swallowed. "Trinity. Is she..."

"She's fine," Neo said at once. "Don't worry."

"Then - what's the matter?"

There was a long silence. Then Neo sighed. "She's dating someone," he said.

It was so anti-climactic, Ghost actually laughed. "What? No. She can't be."

"She is. And we have to keep it quiet, for her sake. This would be big in Zion, you know that."

"No," Ghost said. He shook his head. "You've misunderstood something. It's not possible."

"It's Zach - he told me himself. And I've seen them together. There's no misunderstanding."

Ghost opened his mouth and closed it again, before pulling himself together. "Then she has to get her memories back. And I mean, now."

"No," Neo said. "No way."

"But what's this going to do to her? There's no choice, Neo."

"It's too big a risk. We just have to deal with it."

"Neo, think about it. Please. Think about what this'll do to her. How she's going to feel -"

But Neo cut him off. "They said they'd do it when it was safe. If they haven't, then it isn't. Period. We can manage things for her, however it goes. Whatever she wants, we can handle it so she's safe. But not if this leaks. The repercussions could be dangerous, given," his jaw tightened, "some of the idiots in Zion, so until she knows what she wants, this has to stay quiet."

"What she'll want," Ghost said, staring at him incredulously, "is for it never to have happened at all. You know that." But Neo was silent. Ghost began to feel a mounting horror. "Neo?" he said.

"All I know is that we have to look after her while she can't herself. And that means not a word of this reaches anyone in Zion, and she's left in ignorance of who she is until the machines say different."

"But you know she loves you," Ghost said. His throat was suddenly very dry. He swallowed. "You have to know that. You must do."

"I know she did," Neo said, and then he looked at Ghost, his eyes sadder than Ghost had ever seen them. "And she's been through hell because of it. Look, I can't do this. Not with anyone. Just... promise me you'll talk to the crew. Ensure their discretion."

"Sure. Whatever you want. But when she remembers, all she's going to want is you. You have to believe me - you've just been jacked in way the hell too long. I've known her all her adult life, she's the best friend I ever had, and I'm telling you - every breath she took was for you, ever since you came. As soon as she remembers, things can get back to normal. This is crazy, it isn't Trin doing this. It's just the Matrix, it doesn't mean anything."

Neo was silent for a moment. Then he said, his voice quiet, "I'm coming back to Zion next week."

Ghost stared at him, appalled. "Neo, please. Don't give up on her. You can't do that to her."

"I'm not giving up on her," he said at once, irritated. "But I hardly see her, and you said it yourself. When she gets her memory back, this'll fuck her up. Whatever she wants to happen at that point, she's going to feel bad. Knowing I was there to watch all this won't help her any."

"But..." Ghost's voice trailed away. He had no idea what to say. It was undeniable; Neo had a point. He swallowed. "Just - tell me you'll still want her. Please. Because I don't know what to tell her, if you don't."

Neo stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown two heads. "Of course I still want her," he said. "And I'll come back for her, no matter what. If she wants him, or just to be alone, then I'll deal with it. Make sure Zion accepts it, too. And if she still wants us - God." He was silent for a few minutes. Then he said, sounding completely defeated, "But I can't stay here. I have to leave. She gets nothing from it, it's hell for me, and it's just going to cost her later."

"I can't believe it's come to this," Ghost said. "I just... I can't take it in."

"Yeah, well. You and me both."

"I feel nervous," Ghost said. He shook his head in disbelief. "Can you believe that?"

Neo smiled slightly, a little sad. "I was when she first started here. Just been too damn long since I'd seen her." He motioned to his left. "It's this way."

Ghost looked round as they passed door after featureless door. He could hardly believe it - Zion's revered saviors, spending their days in this place. "God," he said.

"Yeah. Corporate hell." Neo stopped outside a door with A. C. Mackenzie, Senior Programmer on, and knocked before he opened it. "Mackenzie?"

"Hey Tom." Her back was turned. "Can I do something for you?" She made no move to face him; merely continued scribbling on some paper, counting something under her breath.

"You have a visitor," he said.

She turned round, and suddenly went very still. "Ghost," she said, and then she smiled. A genuine, full-face smile, of the kind Neo hadn't seen from her since the end of the war.

She moved round the desk and took Ghost's hands in hers. "It's so good to see you."

"You too."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? How long are you in town?"

"I'll leave you to it," Neo said, and hesitated.

Trinity made no reply; just put her arms round Ghost and hugged him close. "God, I've missed you. Tell me everything - how's it been? Have you any plans for dinner?"

Neo left.

"I know. About the accident, I mean."

She looked up at him, away from her plate. "Mom told you," she said, and sighed impatiently. "I told her not to."

"Please don't blame your mother."

She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. "You married the wrong Mackenzie. No other guy will ever understand you. And that's on a good day. On a bad one, the word is tolerate. You know she's still holding out for a reconciliation?"

"She'll be waiting a long time," he said.

She smiled into his eyes at that. "You sound better. With it, I mean."

"You'd be happier with someone else."

She shook her head at once. "No. If I couldn't make it work with you, I couldn't with anyone. Nobody'll ever have so much in common. I told you before: I'm just not cut out for serious relationships."

"You did," he agreed, a little sadly, recalling how many times a younger, real world Trinity had said the same thing. Before Neo came and turned her life upside down; filled it with untold joy. Then he shook himself mentally - he was wasting precious minutes. "But anyway. How are you?"

"Better. Much better." She grimaced. "Though my memory still plays tricks on me."

"Tricks?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I have gaps. Other things don't seem real to me, even when they happened. Sometimes dreams seem more so. Apparently it's normal. At least nothing work-related's been affected; I'm functional there, thank God." She smiled, a little apologetically. "You know me and work."

"You always worked too hard."

"I love work," she said.

"I know. But it's not human."

"No. It's reliable."

"Oh, I'm quite reliable."

"Yes," she agreed. "But I wasn't."

"That's not true," he said at once. "Never apologize for honesty. Anyone who doesn't recognize it as a compliment is a fool. And undeserving of that honesty."

She was silent for a moment, and then she said softly, "I've missed you so much. I hope you know that."

"I do." He smiled at her. "You've always been my best friend. Nothing could change that."

"Good." She took a sip of wine. "So. How's Australia?"

"Hot."

"Barrier Reef?"

"Large."

"Met anyone interesting?"

"Supermodel. Six foot tall. Blonde."

"An upgrade? Glad to hear it."

"And before you ask: no, none of them program as well as you."

"Oh, now that would get to me."

"Don't I know it." He smiled. "How about you? Anyone interesting at work?"

She made a face. "Most are pretty useless. To be blunt."

He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"No, I know. I'm being unfair. They're competent. It just... it isn't the same."

"Well, that's the corporate world for you."

"Don't remind me."

"You sound like you miss it."

"Of course I miss it." She sighed. "I love working with you. You know that. One day I hope we can get back to it. Just... don't marry someone who codes better than me, next time."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"And make sure she's a better wife, too."

"Worse programmer, better wife. Any other orders, Lieutenant?"

"Yeah," she said. "She needs to like me. So she doesn't mind us being friends."

He looked at her and smiled. "That works both ways."

"Not really." She looked up as their entrees arrived. "I told you. I'm strictly casual in future."

"Hmm." He fiddled with his knife, then cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I agree with your analysis of your co-workers, you know. Tom seems great."

"Oh, now he's very capable. Easily the best they have. Probably better than me, if I'm honest. I console myself with the fact he's got a few years on me, too."

"I was talking personally, not professionally. I liked him. And he spoke very highly of you."

"Did he." Her tone was distant. She looked away, out of the window.

"Very much so. Seem to have made quite an impact on him."

She shrugged. "Well, he's lonely. His girlfriend's very sick, and he's crazy about her. Poor guy - I have no idea what's wrong, but she sounds like she's had some kind of psychotic breakdown. Or suffered serious brain damage. Or has a horrific degenerative disease. Something equally cheerful."

Ghost was staring at her. "What?"

"Yeah. Very sad. And he never seems to talk to anyone. He must be so unhappy, it's kind of heartbreaking. I guess he has Zach, at least."

Ghost had no idea how to respond. So instead he said, "Zach?"

"Another co-worker," she said, evasive. Then she grimaced. "I'm so used to you knowing everything. I miss that."

"I know," he said. "There isn't a day that passes when I don't want to tell you something. Ask your opinion. I miss you, too."

She looked at him, a little sadly. "This won't be forever, will it?"

"No," he said. "No, it won't be forever."

"Good. Because life without you, Ghost. It's not a lot of fun."