I woke up back on the ship where I belonged. Coda unplugged me from the machine, and suddenly, Stats was at our sides.

"What happened in there?" He was asking me. I floundered for an answer, waiting for Neo to explain.

"Smith... he... he took over Coda... oh man...," I turned to Coda to give him a tight hug, happy to see that he was okay. I didn't realize I had been crying until I pulled back and saw the wet spots on Coda's sweater.

He gently quieted me. Apparently even seeing Smith had caused something in my heart to break in remembrance of my mom.

Neo was woken up next and came over to me. He let me hold onto Coda while he patted my hair soothingly.

"It was a mistake, I should have left you out today," he whispered.

"I gotta get over this," I mumbled to no one.

"No, it was too soon," Neo whispered. "I expected too much of you."

"No, it wasn't you. It was Smith," I countered, not wanting him to feel guilty about what happened. "It was none of our faults."

Neo had his arms wrapped around me tight, like he never wanted to let go. At this moment, I didn't care if Trinity killed me for this. Neo had me in his arms and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Being in the Matrix today, it was a mistake. I shouldn't have gone. I shouldn't have seen it so soon after my mother. The only condolence was that my father would be saved.

Neo picked up a blanket from a bin and wrapped it around me, careful to even cover my legs, even though I couldn't feel them.

I felt like a little kid, but I just wanted to be held. I knew it wasn't strong or brave like the other Redpills, and I wasn't totally in control of my emotions like the others were, but that was because I didn't feel like I was one of them.

In a way, the fact that they were braver than I was seemed to give me an excuse to cry.

I didn't want everyone standing around me, but I knew I couldn't just leave with Coda and Neo there, so I was forced to stay in that seat.

It was one of the times I really cursed now being able to move on my own.

Neo leaned into my ear, noting how I pulled back a few times.

"You want to leave?"

I nodded.

Neo leaned over gently and picked me up, one arm in the crook of my knees, the other around my back. He settled me easily into my chair. As he got the blanket and everything situated, Coda took a knee on my right side and took my hand.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "It wasnt me in there today, but I saw on the screen..."

"Coda, it wasn't you, so don't worry about it," I stopped him, smiling even though I was sad. He smiled a warm smile at me and patted my hand. That kid was good. I wished the world had more of him

Neo started rolling me out of the crowded room, and we passed Morpheus plugged into the Matrix, probably searching for my father. My heart sped up at the sight.

Trinity moved aside to get the door to my cabin, and he expressions changed. Before, she had seemed hostile, but now she just looked sad. She paused to throw the blanket back around my legs where I couldn't reach, and I felt something change.

"Thank you," I mumbled, trying to talk.

She nodded to me, then looked up at Neo before walking away.

Neo took me into the cabin and shut the door, then moved me onto my bed. He started rubbing my legs and digging his thumbs into my calves.

I couldn't feel it, but I knew what he was doing. He was trying to keep the blood from pooling in my legs for too long. I knew they used to do that with coma patients who couldn't move for lone periods of time.

He leaned in for a kiss, hesitant. I coaxed him to do so. He melted into my lips, biting and pulling the bottom one ever so slightly. My head automatically tipped to the side and my hands went right to his hair.

"Hold me," I whispered. He picked me up and pushed my back against the wall of the empty cabin. I knew he was supporting a ton of dead weight, but his hands were cupping my upper thigh, keeping me against the wall and him.

He pulled his lips from mine and worked down my neck. Every single time we kissed, he still managed to amaze me. I gulped and tilted my head to the side to give him more room to work. He left hot kisses everywhere.

He hummed softly against the hollow of my neck, and I massaged my fingers into his hair.

"Hold me," I whispered again.

"I am," he smiled back. His kisses felt like hot lightning, like electricity down my spine.

He put me down on the bed and landed on top of me, fitting perfectly between my legs. Sometimes he would snap into a full body roll and it felt so good. I liked to watch his hips move.

The articles of clothing soon diminished, strewn about the room, hooked on hangers and light fixtures with no care in the world other than kissing.

Once again, we were vulnerable to only each other, and his hot breath and wet lips were latching to my neck.

I closed my eyes and held on to the man I loved, touching his holes in his neck and head.

It was not to say that I forgot all of my pain, but it was a distraction from it, something that stopped me from feeling the hole in my stomach.

He stopped for a moment, causing my eyes to open up and my hands to grip onto my pillow withthe anticipation and loss of the feeling.

"Neo... what?"

"Call me Thomas," he whispered into my ear while biting at it, "It means more."

"Mm, Thomas...," I obliged, feeling like my vision went foggy as he worked at my neck.

His hand went around my leg and he gently shifted it to work around the dead weight.

"Do you want--?"

"Yes. Yes, Thomas," I told him with utmost certainty.

He pulled back and hovered above me, looking down with a full smile.

"I love you," he sighed cheerfully, as though we were the only two people in the world for a short moment.

"I love you too," I answered, coaxing him back to me. We met at the lips again and he fitted himself back against me perfectly.

His hands wandered from my arms to my stomach, and then up to my hair, his massive fingers caressing my face. He left a quick nip at my shoulder before gently nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

"Thomas," I hummed, eyes shutting as he continued.

He shuddered when I said his name, kissing me everywhere he could reach.

"Love you, Kate," he murmured against my collarbone.

"Always,"

He rolled over, gently gripping my shoulders as he did, so that I could sit on his waist and he could look up at me and smile.

"Mm, you're beautiful,"

We made the best of the situation despite my legs. It hurt, but felt good. It was awkward and clumsy, but it was us, and it was perfect.

Everything ended with his cries being stifled into a pillow, my own into his neck, our breathing slowly getting back to normal.

I felt exhausted and at peace, wrapped up against Neo's warm body, his bare, muscular arms wrapped tight around me. I was lying on top of him as he pulled a blanket over the two of us, a chill coming over us as our sweat dried.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in my ear, stroking my hair.

"Mmmm, yeah," I breathed, feeling sore but pleased.

"Did I hurt you much?"

"A little, but it felt... gooood," I kissed his ear. He made a small noise and bit his lip.

"Hey. Careful. Or we might have to do this again,"

I nuzzled into his neck and kissed him again.

"I'd be okay with that," I smiled into his skin. He chuckled a low laugh that ran right through me.

"Me too," he breathed, holding me so close against him now that there was no room for air, "but I need sleep."

I thought about it, and he was right. We did need sleep. And he was so comfortable and warm against me. I pressed against him.

"I'm cold," he said with a smirk, and I willingly obliged, wrapping up in him as much as I could, drifting off into a peaceful sleep, bliss on my mind and nothing else except for Neo's arms, and his slow, steady heartbeat even with mine.