"Look you can see the moon…and the stars."

Their new room is bigger, but is also white. The door looks the same with a little window peeking out into the hallway. They now have beds on the opposite sides of the room, just like their corners, but now they have somewhere to sit. They are not the most comfortable beds, and are in fact less fluffy than their padded wall, but they don't have much else to compare it to. They were now the proud owners of a table that was between their two beds and under their window to the outside. It wasn't really a desk, and it was quite flimsy, but strong enough to hold up Neo. Though Neo was skinnier than he once was because of the diet their at the Asylum.

Neo sat on their table on his knees, holding himself up from the bars of their new window. He peered out barely able to see the sky, but he did, and smiled at it. He looked over at Smith, who was now curled up on his bed, lying on the one pillow he had. Neo bent down on the table and sat kneeling over to Smith.

"Come see…" Neo said.

He tugged at Smith's sleeve.

"Come see, come on." He said again.

"I can see from here." Smith mumbled into his pillow.

"Yeah, but you can't see the city." Neo smiled.

"City?"

Smith got up onto the table, hoping the small thing could hold both his and Neo's weight. He held up his head, and Neo pointed to it.

"See?" Neo asked. "There it is. The city!"

Little lights so far away they blended together to make one artificial star that was resting on the ground. They couldn't really see many of the buildings, but they saw the lights in the night. And all the smaller lights that they knew were cars. It was so far away, but not out of reach. Not out of reach. Neo closed one eye and put his fingers around the city, trying to take it away into his hand. And Smith watched Neo, then turned back to the little star that was the city.

From up there they could now see the outside. Telephone poles leading to the city, one road going towards and away from the city. A few streetlights lighting the way. They could see green grass and green trees from where they were, and they thought it was one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Then they saw an old woman walking on the sidewalk, to a bench that was a bus stop.

"Let's go to sleep." Smith said.

"No way. I want to watch the sun come back up." Neo replied.

Smith got down from the table and fell on his bed, looking up at Neo.

"You need sleep." Smith told him.

"No. Besides…I keep having those dreams."

"What dreams?"

"Never mind."

Neo didn't look at Smith, but he pushed his face into the window, and shook his head.

"What dreams?" Smith persisted.

"…People keep dying in my dreams. And I don't know why….People I don't even recognize, I know you wouldn't know them…All these people I don't even know, being ripped apart."

Neo looked at Smith then bit his lip and jumped down from the table onto Smith's bed where he whispered in Smith's ear.

"The machines…they were killing everyone, and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Smith looked up at him.

"Go to sleep, Mr. Anderson. It will get better."

But it didn't. And when Neo slept he dreamed those dreams. He watched as people died, and a little girl cried out for her daddy. And for a moment, Neo thought that she was calling for him, until she was picked up by her mother and they started running into a cave. And then a machine looked at him, and stabbed the man who was shooting at it and was standing right next to him. There was fire, but the fire began to change. And the entire world went black, and turned green. When he woke up in the middle of the night he washed his hands, believing there was blood on them, and he sat on that table, and watched the sun rise.

---------

"You didn't get any sleep, did you?" Smith asked.

"Why do you say that?"

"You look terrible."

"I need a shower, where did Morpheus say the bathrooms were?"

"I don't think he did."

"Well I heard someone say something about showers…."

Indeed Neo did need a shower, and he would need a nap in an three hours when fatigue would set in. His hair was a mess, due to his turning in sleep. And he had bags under his eyes, nonetheless he seemed quite alert.

"You need one." Smith encouraged.

Neo bit his lower lip as he followed Smith. He wasn't really sure where Smith was going, but he was pretty sure Smith didn't know where he was going either. But that really didn't matter, it wasn't like they could get lost, and dependently Neo followed closely behind Smith as they walked down the hallway. There was a girl sitting in the hallway, she didn't move even as they had to step over her. Neo looked back at the girl, but she didn't look up.

"Where do you want to go?" Smith asked.

"Hey look there's Michael! Hey Kid!"

Neo grabbed Smith's shoulder and waved out to the young boy who was carrying some laundry to Kali. He saw Neo and quickly looked away and started walking the other direction.

"What'd I do this time?" Neo asked.

"Maybe he just doesn't like you."

"What's not to like about me?" Neo asked innocently.

"Well, for one…you're in an insane asylum."

"Oh, right…"

Now a little sad, Neo mopes behind Smith as Smith wanders towards something that catches those brown eyes. And instantly Neo smiles and runs ahead of Smith.

"We can go outside!" Neo exclaimed, jumping and pointing to the outdoor area.

--------------

"Now what?" Smith asked, rather happier than usual.

They stood outside, not so far from the exit to the Asylum. They could already see where the outside they were allowed to frolic in ended, a white fence pierced through the ground. It was concrete and over ten feet tall so they couldn't see the city or any of the rest of the outside. There weren't many trees, but a few Neo felt like he could climb, and a few Smith knew he would have to rescue Neo from when he would get stuck. Neo never seemed that fond of heights. There was a small little pond where they saw benches where they could sit. A worker at the Asylum was leading a group of five people around. There was a path in a giant circle all around the outside.

And there was a white butterfly Neo liked, and wanted to ask it how to fly. Smith saw a crow instead in the tree, and he liked it.

"Now what?" Smith asked again.

Neo didn't hear him for a moment as he was busy watching the butterfly. He blinked and finally realized Smith was talking to him, and suddenly stood up straight, and looked to the sky, putting his finger on his chin like he was thinking.

"Oh, um…." Neo started.

Then his eyes wander.

"Hey, look a shower!" Neo points.

"Mr. Anderson…that is a hose." Smith says.

Neo looks over at Smith still smiling.

"Sometimes we must look beyond what is in plain sight…Mr. Smith."

Neo walked towards the hose, and Smith sighs.

"We're going to get in trouble." Smith whispered.

---------------

"Hey, I'm sorry for everything, Kiddo." Aaron hugged her.

"It's okay…I'm fine really." She said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, really, I'm good. Hard getting up though."

"Sure is, hey uh, job out for you in the outside area, okay?"

"Sure."

Michelle smiled her bittersweet smile she had been wearing for the past few weeks. She nodded and waved goodbye to Aaron, and she walked down the halls, nodding to the sweet boy by the name of Michael. She put her hands over her arms, covering what little scratches were left from Thomas A. Anderson. She didn't hate him for it, she didn't even blame him for it. She just…was in a bad place in her life then.

Her brother was dead.

Michelle stepped outside and stood there for a moment not moving. Then she heard it.

"…Trinity!"

She turned and saw him. The man named Neo sitting on his knees, with Smith standing beside him, holding the hose. And the hose still passed on even in that moment of awkward silence as Neo smiled at her and she only stared. The water dripped from his head and down his neck to a puddle beside him. He stopped for a moment and started shaking his head getting the water out of his hair and he ran towards her. He embraced her and held her tightly, so quickly she didn't even notice. He buried his head in her shoulder.

"Michelle, Michelle, I mean Michelle…I'm sorry, Michelle…I'm sorry for everything, I didn't mean it, really I didn't mean too…." He told her.

And Smith stood there watching them, the hose still on. He dropped the hose and stood there, watching them. Just stood there and watched them. He turned his head in disgust, turning off the hose, feeling rejected. He wouldn't say anything however.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Neo kept repeating.

"It's okay, Neo." She pushed him off gently. "Really it's okay. Hey, you're outside!"

"Yeah…they let us out."

Michelle looked over Neo to see Smith staring at them. Neo smiled at her, and it was another awkward silence, that the mad didn't seem to notice. Then Neo felt a tug at his sleeve, and turned around to see Smith who lowered his head. Neo didn't know what Smith was trying to say and stared at him.

"Hey! I got an idea!" Neo exclaimed.

And that's when Neo punched Smith.

"Ow!" Smith held the side of his face. "Why did you do that?"

Neo smiled and laughed.

"We're outside now, we can fight!" Neo exclaimed. "Aaron only said no fighting inside!"

"He meant outside too, Mr. Anderson." Smith said, containing some anger.

"Oh…."

Neo turned back to Michelle.

"Can we fight, Michelle? Please! Please! We won't hurt each other! We're really good so we won't hit that hard! Please, Michelle!" Neo begged.

Michelle's mouth dropped open slightly, and her eyes looked over at Smith who was looking away and rubbing his face.

"It calms us down, Michelle, so…we won't fight inside!" Neo tried.

"All right…I guess…just don't get anyone else involved."

"Thank you Michelle! Thank you so…"

But before Neo could finish, Smith punched him.

--------------

They were keeping their word so far. Either of them were really that hurt, maybe some bruises. They sometimes stopped their fists just before they hit each other, and stated that it would hurt. They fought just in a small empty area below a small hill, and Michelle sat and watched them. They were really good, and she was very impressed, and a little scared. She wouldn't be able to tell you how the fight went, or who was winning most of the time. They moved to fast, and did too much too quickly for her to keep up.

She did know though, that the entire time they were smiling.

Neo attempted a high kick to the chest, but Smith bent backwards, a little too far and had to make it into a back flip. Neo jumped back thinking he was going to try and kick him in the chin. Neo charged at Smith before he could recover, but Smith was able to duck a punch. Smith took the offensive, punching Neo at the face and then the chest.

And far away other inmates, including a boy named Michael, a Frenchman, and a little pyro, were watching.

"Did you catch the game last night?" Aaron asked.

"No I was out with my brother." Tank replied.

"Oh, how's he doing?"

"Good, good, needed help with his car and we hung around. Got to see my little niece and nephew, they're so great."

"You're an uncle?"

"Oh yeah."

"Cool."

They were walking, the two sane men in an Asylum. Walking towards duties and other such things. Walking down the hall to the outside. And when Aaron opened the door for Tank, they saw it. Neo and Smith fighting.

"Oh shit!" Tank yelled.

And the two ran towards Michelle who they could see in the distance.

"What the hell is going on?" Aaron yelled at her.

"It's okay! I told them they could fight. They're being really good about it." She said quickly.

"You can't have them fight! They'll get hurt!" Tank yelled.

"No, they promised they wouldn't hurt each other." Michelle explained.

That's when Smith for once kicked, believing it would be a move Neo would not anticipate. He was correct in this theory as he did a spin kick, and Neo went flying through the air, flipping as he fell, and finally landing on his face. And it took everyone a moment to realize Neo was down. Aaron went running down towards him, as Tank followed dragging Michelle.

"See what happens?" Aaron exclaimed.

"He's not hurt." Smith said quietly as he saw the others.

But Neo wasn't moving as his face was buried in the ground. And as Aaron gently pushed Neo on his back, it was shown. Neo was laughing.

"Hi Morpheus! I mean Aaron!" Neo said.

"I told you he wasn't hurt." Smith said, but no one really heard him.

Smith was obviously annoyed by the sane's presence and interference, and their down right ability to ignore him. Smith lowered his fists and then his shoulders, and watched the sane care for Neo.

"Neo, are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Why?" Neo said getting up. He smiled over at Smith and ran to him. "You dog you! You never kick! You never, ever kick! Though it was sort of fun flying through the air…."

Smith smiled slightly, and kicked the ground.

"Let's do it again!" Neo said jumping into a fighting stance.

"No!" Aaron grabbed him.

"Why not?" Neo asked wiggling out of Aaron's grip.

And for a moment Aaron didn't have an answer.

"Oh…would you like to learn?" Neo concluded.

"I don't think that's why he stopped us." Smith told him.

"Well…it'd be nice to at least teach them, right?" Neo said.

"Teach us?" Tank raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Smith said silently with a tad of reluctance.

Neo jumped towards Tank and looked at him for a moment. The sane were suddenly at the mercy of the insane. Neo was so enthusiastic and so happy just to see Michelle and get outside. He moved too quickly in a madman's haste. The sane were apparently too taken back to say stop to the insane One. Perhaps they were all just curious as to what Neo intended to do.

"For Tank…Drunken Kickboxing." Neo smiled.

Neo began demonstrating the basic stance of Drunk Kickboxing, which was basically boxing in that the feet had to always be moving. He smiled at Tank, and Tank laughed.

"Sounds like my kind of Kung Fu!" Was the man's reply.

"Not Kung Fu. Drunken Kickboxing." Smith corrected behind Neo.

Neo nodded and jumped in front of Aaron and did the same scanning him up and down.

"For the great Morpheus…classic Tae Kwon Do. With few kicking, the legs are not as strong in age." Neo bent down in a fighting stance, raising his right arm above his head.

"Classic, huh?"

Neo nodded.

"Smith you teach Morpheus, I mean Aaron. You barely kick ever." Neo said.

And Smith watched Neo gladly walk to Michelle, and stood next to Aaron. He didn't like Aaron, he never did. Perhaps it was just a natural rejection, being that Aaron was the first man that they remember seeing when they first came to the Asylum. At that point anyone they saw they were going to blame for them staying here, maybe Smith just hasn't gotten over that fact. Either way, Smith did not like Morpheus or Aaron. He just didn't, he never told Neo or show any rejection to Aaron, he just didn't like him.

Smith sighed as he stood next to Aaron, putting up his fists.

"Women have the advantage of being more agile and quicker than men in martial arts. My opinion differs with Smith, in that I believe agility is more key than brute force." Neo told Michelle. "But, if you'll…let me…"

Neo slowly approached Michelle and put his hand on her back very gently. It was then Neo recognized something he hadn't seen too often in these days. He saw sadness, and Michelle was no where to say no to him, to occupied with something else, something beyond the Asylum's walls. She seemed smaller somehow now, and quieter. But Neo went on leading her.

"Just…um…bend back." Neo said. "Keep your knees straight and don't lay on my hand, try to support yourself."

"Don't drop me."

"Of course not."

Michelle did as Neo had told her, and she tried to do it. But she wasn't really one to go to the gym and train or exercise. But she bent down, and was surprised how far she went. She tried not to look at Neo, because even after all this time, he still had that same hope in his eyes that he had when she first saw him, and he called her Trinity. That same look that was asking her to be that woman that might not even exist. Same purity, same helplessness. But now it was happy and more hopeful than ever.

"See?" Neo told her.

He pulled her back up and backed up for a moment.

"This is a very nice move, I don't particularly do it a lot, it calls for a lot of…agile strength." He said and she nodded. "Now, what you're going to do is, well it's a kick you see. But it calls for a swift movement of both the arms and the leg, all while jumping."

"Jumping?"

Neo nodded, and demonstrated. He raised his arms and with it his right leg, his hands curled up leaving to fingers pointed to the ground on each hand. Then he got back down.

"It's meant to kick someone in the face with this leg see? So you have to jump. You'd start out like this, jumping, and just raise everything up, you know?" Neo went on. "So…um…"

Neo slowly went behind Michelle and carefully placed his hands on her hips.

"Don't worry, I'll lift you, Trinity…"

She looked up.

"I mean Michelle!"

Neo let go of her hips and backed away, afraid of what he just did. She looked back and with that same sadness spoke.

"It's okay, you…you can call me Trinity. I don't mind." She told him.

He smiled at this.

"I forget what this move is called…Crouching grasshopper or something." He placed his hands on her hips again. "Okay, one…two…three!"

He lifted her, and she raised her leg and her arms. It was enough to make Neo believe again, that this was his Trinity again. He couldn't hold her as long as he thought he could so she he quickly brought her back down to the ground. Where he bent close to her nearly laying his chin on her shoulder and he whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry about your brother." He told her.

"If you can hit me, then hit me!" Smith yelled at Aaron, as he dodged all of the man's punches.

"No, Smith!" Neo yelled, and jumped on top of him. "Don't kill him!"

"Get your elbow out of my eye!" Smith yelled.

"Oh sorry."

"Ow, why do you keep hitting me today? Mr. Whoa-I-Know-Kung-Fu?" Smith mocked.

"Oh great impression Mr. Talk-so-very-very-slow." Neo mocked back.

The sane laughed for a moment, and Aaron rubbed his neck in a bit of embarrassment. And Tank was busy asking for his turn already, he wanted to try this Drunken Kickboxing. And Trinity…Trinity only smiled a bittersweet smile, that made Neo sad to look at her. Because he knew there was nothing more he could to make it better. And as Neo grew sadder, she grew sadder. It was Smith who saw this and made a mental note of the observation and shook his head, what a sad circle they had gotten themselves entangled in.

But somewhere inside Smith, somewhere he wasn't yet aware of, somewhere deep and cold, he liked seeing the two of them in pain. He wouldn't know it for a long time, to him in that day he felt nothing. Not rejection or resentment, he just didn't feel anything. But it was something, and it was anger.

At least he would have Neo to himself when they were together in their room that night.

Unknown to them a Frenchman laughed at them, saying how perfect this all will be, and getting drunk again on cheap wine so he wouldn't remember his wife left him, and the night he can't remember when he signed divorce papers inside his cell.

Michael watches in a tree.

And the doctors of the Asylum watched in their office behind the blinds, writing on their clipboards, whispering to each other, different opinions yelled out at once, and one choice coming out of this within minutes. What a strange case this Neo and Smith. Perhaps…even threatening.

-----------------

Next Chapter: In My Dreams

Please R/R, reviews make me so happy.

Sort of a Neo themed chapter, but it had to be that way. Michelle came back. Don't worry, it'll be more divided in the future, and there will be Neo chapters and Smith chapters (Smith chapters more towards the end, actually), and maybe outside character chapters. I'm not really sure on that one yet.

Anyway I'm leaving Wednesday night to go to the East Coast and visit New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. for 10 days, so I won't be around for a while. But I'll be writing drafts everywhere I go. Andy will watch the house, if there's anything uploaded in these ten days that suck, it's him and not me. Though I doubt he'd do that, but as good measure I made pretty much everything on my computer password protected.

Working on a movie script for Andy, transcribing it, meaning all I have to do is edit the script according to the final cut movie. It's nothing big just a small Sci-fi original movie. I have to get that done by Wednesday.

In older news that I forgot I haven't mentioned here (and if I did, I apologize): I worked on transcribing another script much earlier this year for Andy and the guys. Check out my name in the credits, I'd post a link but won't let me. If you want to go out of way to see me, you can. Try searching IMPS the Relentless for the official site. Go to the click chapter one at the top, then clip credits. I'm somwhere in there. Of course you don't have to, I don't care.

See you guys in ten days!

Love, Mae "Shadow" Catt.