Author: Kenora Hazel Saul

Title: It's Been Awhile…..

Rating: PG-13

Summary: An AU version of Trinity and Neo. Only Trinity is now Anastasia and Neo will be known as Sloan. Plz R&R!!

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10 years later……

A cold lone tear trickled down her cheek, almost frozen in its salty opalescent glory. Dim moonlight filtered through the slits of the blinds, sheltering her from the outside. The Matrix was a beautiful enigma that clawed at her to solve its problems. Closing her eyes in peace, she sought the answers to the question that plagued her insides?

Why was she here? What was she supposed to do?

Life was a complex puzzle, this woman referred to as the Oracle was supposed to have the answers to everything.

She was supposed to visit the Oracle on their next trek into the Matrix to search for more recruits.

Peace had been in effect for the last ten years, since the One had fought the battle for them. They had called a truce, but how long would it last? Having been recently unplugged from the Matrix, she just didn't know what to think? The man who referred to himself as Morpheus was her new captain. He was bordering on the line of retirement.

She could tell that he didn't want to. He still enjoyed the thrill of going into the Matrix and looking for new recruits who sought the answer to the universal question: What is the Matrix?

There were stories, legends more like, that floated around Zion, about the One and his battle with Smith. Having just been brought into Zion the night before for the first time. She was unaware of the odd looks she was receiving from people.

**

She walked over to a group of people sitting at a table to introduce herself. They stared at her, some of them looked shocked.

"Hi, my name is Anastasia, I'm new here, I just wanted to introduce myself." Self-consciously, she tucked a lock of errant ebony hair behind her ear. Her cerulean eyes assessed their reactions. Obviously they weren't that interested in meeting her. She backed off and walked over to sit by the bar.

The bartender set a pint of Zion's special beer-flavored brew in front of her. "You look like her, that's why they're acting so weird."

"I look like who?" Anastasia sipped some of her brew, and grimaced at the metallic taste as she swallowed.

"Trinity." The bartender said quietly.

"Wasn't she….?" Anastasia trailed off.

"She was Neo's other half, his soul mate. It's said that she would come back and when she did the One would come back too." The bartender told her.

Anastasia's eyes widened at what she'd just been told. She looked around the room and watched the crowd in the corner whisper and look at her.

She swallowed the rest of her brew, thanked the bartender and walked out of the bar. Walking down the deserted hallway, she made her way to the elevator. She hit the up button that would lead to her Morpheus's quarter and some answers.

**

Was she Trinity resurrected?

Sweat trickled down her back, shivers ran up her spine. She couldn't be Trinity? Knocking loudly on Morpheus's door.

That would mean? She rapped harder, she couldn't allow herself to think about the possibilities of that.

"Who is it?" he shouted out.

"Sir, it's Anastasia." The door opened to reveal Morpheus clad in a towel. Candles burned in the background. A seduction interrupted.

A vague memory poked at her mind. A feeling of feeling the same frustration when she had been interrupted in the same way. Always having to quell her need for him, so that he could go and fight the enemy. He had been their guardian against the adversary.

"What is it?" Smoothing a hand over his bald head. Morpheus looked at her, as if trying to read her mind.

"Am I Trinity resurrected?"

Morpheus's face blanched of all its color. Leaving a pale ghostly white to settle over his rapidly aged features.

"What makes you think that?" he said softly.

"I had no idea what she looked like, until I went into the bar tonight. They just kept staring and whispering… I went over to introduce myself and they just stared at me, like I was a circus freak.

What the hell is going on Morpheus?"

"You weren't supposed to find out this soon," Morpheus said quietly.

"When were you going to tell me? I had a right to know." Anastasia stormed off down the hall to the elevator.

Morpheus stood there, flabbergasted for a moment. He would have to talk to the Council.

True, Anastasia did know, but this time it was different. She didn't know, but things were about to change radically. He would have to consult with the Council.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Damn them all, did they think she was a joke. Anastasia slammed her door angrily. Why was this happening? All she'd been looking for was answers and she got this. Why couldn't she just be a normal person?

Tears streamed down her face, sadness warred with frustration. Taking off her boots, she put them by the door and crawled into her bed. Lonely and cold, yet an urge to sleep gripped her.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

A voice came to her. Soon…….it whispered.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What's wrong Morpheus?" Niobe lay warm under the blankets after a bout of lovemaking, watching her husband get dressed.

"She knows, I don't how, but she shouldn't have found out so soon. It wasn't supposed to

happen that way." Morpheus told her while buttoning up his boots.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to the Council." His response reverberated off the wall as he closed the door behind himself as he exited the room.

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