In a dream a black void surrounded three sprites who were very much alone and far from home. Two of the sprites were humanoid and one cradled the other who happened to be seriously injured. The third sprite was an animal sprite, a dog to be exact and he whimpered in fear. It seemed like an eternity until one spoke. "AndrAIa", the injured sprite said meekly, "AndrAIa, are we home?"

The sprite named AndrAIa was crying quietly as she held on to her friend. All she said in response was the injured sprite's name. She said "Enzo".

"AndrAIa, are we back in Mainframe?" he finally asked.

"I don't know where we are" she said between sobbing and she held her friend a little tighter as the dog sprite called Frisket continued to whimper.

Enzo didn't understand any of this. Hadn't they just won the game, hadn't they beaten the User and saved a sector of mainframe? Why was frisket afraid and why was AndrAIa crying? For that matter why was he laying on the ground with AndrAIa hanging on to him? Finally it dawned on Enzo just how much in pain he was. They had won, why was he hurting? Enzo also began to realize that something was wrong with his vision, his right eye to be exact. He began to question again. "AndrAia, what happened" he said, "what happened, didn't we win?"

The girl sprite sniffed back her tears and brought her head closer to Enzo's. "No Enzo" she stated, trying to keep her composure. "We lost". AndrAIa began to sob again but even so continued to speak. "I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again Enzo. I love you and I promise, no one will ever hurt you again, I promise". At last it came to Enzo, like a shot just what had happened, why he hurt so much, why his vision wasn't right. he lifted a hand to his face and discovered his right eye was missing. At that moment the full pain of his wounds washed over him and he screamed...

Enzo Matrix awoke with a start. His heart was beating a mile a minute and it took several seconds for his heart rate to return to normal. He was in his bed in his aprtment located deep within the Priciple Office. He breathed heavily and tried to regain his senses. The dreams, the nightmares to be exact had been plauging him for several cycles now. All the suffering, all the pain he went through on the long slow march back home to Mainframe were being played out over and over again, night after night. Those days were long gone but they came back to him each time he slept and he was growing frustrated. Nightmares were one thing but night after night? That was something else entirely. "I'm a mess" he thought out loud, "I'm a Mess". He layed back down and tried to clear his mind of memories but it wasn't easy. They were persistent.

Enzo awoke after a bad night to greet the beauty of a Mainframe morning. He had barely slept and was tired but couldn't lay on his back all day. He had two dates to keep that day and he wasn't about to miss them, nightmares or not. It was moving day for two of the people he loved the most. His lover AndrAIa and his mentor, Bob the Guardian. Bob was going to move in with Dot Matrix, Enzo's older Sister. Bob had then turned over his apartment in the Eight Ball Arms to AndrAIa as a gift so she wouldn't have to stay in the Principle Office's living sectors. Bob originally asked Enzo if he wanted the place but he declined. Enzo had finally decided to stay in the Principle Office. it had come to feel like home since his return and besides, it was close to the action. AndrAIa could make better use of the place. In addition to the living area, Bob's old apartment had a garage chamber where he worked on his vintage (some would say ancient) car. AndrAIa would need this. It would give her a place to store her spoil of war, Megabyte's motorcycle. AndrAIa had a thing about bikes.

The plan was this. Dot would help Bob move into her place and Enzo would help AndrAIa with her move. Afterwards the two couples would go out for dinner. Enzo cleaned up and got dressed. He downed a quick energy shake to boost his performance and headed out the door. Nightmares or not, nothing would ruin this day. He unloaded his zip board and proceeded to the Eight Ball Arms.

All of AndrAIa's belongings had already been delivered so it was now just a matter of unpacking and putting things in their proper place. She was deciding on where to place a table when Matrix walked in. "Lady need some help?"

AndrAia turned around and her silvery eyes lit up. "Hey lover, ready to help me make this place into a home?"

Matrix walked over to her and they exchanged hugs. "Ready, willing and able, now where do we start?" he asked. "Well, let's unpack everything and put it in it's proper place"

AndrAIa responded. "Speaking of proper places, where do you think this table should go?"

Matrix started pulling things out of the boxes. "Corner maybe?"

The two sprites worked most of the afternoon. By the time they were finished, the apartment really looked good. AndrAIa surveyed their work.

"Now this is a home" she stated contentedly.

"Sure is" Matrix responded, stiffling a yawn or at least trying to.

"Hey lover, I tire you out" AndrAIa asked.

"No, haven't been sleeping well lately".

AndrAIa gave him a concerned look. "The dreams again?"

"Nightmares actually" Matrix replied.

"Matrix, maybe you should ask Phong or someone for some help. This could be serious".

"Serious?" he said. "Honey, they're just bad dreams".

AndraAIa furled her brow. "Bad dreams that you ae having night after night. Bad dreams that are interfering with your sleep. Promise me if this keeps up you'll ask Phong's help".

"What are you, my Mother" Matrix asked a little testily.

"Yeah, I'm your Mother and I care about you and your well being" the lady said, returning his tone of voice. "Are you going to promise me that you will get some help if this keeps up?"

Matrix really wanted to change the subject. He noticed (for the first time that day actually) that she had put her hair up in a bun. It reminded him of how her hair had looked when they were little children. "Really like your hair that way, it's really cute" he said forcing a smile.

AndrAIa refused to be put off. "Don't change the subject on me Enzo Matrix. Are you going to promise me?" This wasn't a request, it was a command.

Matrix gave in. "Okay baby. I promise".

"What was that?" she asked.

"I promise, what, you want it written blood?"

AndrAIa decided to let him off the hook. "No but let's seal it with a kiss".

Matrix shook his head. "You really are something you know that?"

AndrAIa smiled at him. "Yeah, I've been told a few times".

Later that evening, Matrix and AndrAIa as planned had dinner with Dot and Bob. They talked about moving into their new places. Matrix's reconciliation with little Enzo (which had gone suprisingly well. Little Enzo now looked to Matrix as something of a big brother) and Phong's attempts to catalouge all of Bob's new found abilities after his time in the Web and his merger with Glitch. They laughed and talked and had a wonderful time. Afterwards they said their goodbyes and Matrix and AndrAIa headed back to her apartment.

"Have a good time?" Matrix asked her.

"You know it" AndrAIa responded. "Hey, do you have time for me to show you something?"

"Of course I do. All the time in Mainframe" he said. "What is it, a new paint job on the bike?"

"No something different. Sit here, I'll be right back". And she hurried into the bedroom and shut the door. A few seconds later, he heard her voice. "Close you eyes."

"Close my eyes?" Martrix asked.

"Do it. Are they closed?"

Matrix shut his eyes. "Okay, they're closed".

"Ready or not, here I come".

Matrix heard AndrAIa come out of the bedroom and approach him. Her footsteps were soft and he felt her prescence close to him. "Open your eyes" AndrAIa said, barely above a whisper. Matrix did so and was taken aback. He had seen much in his life but nothing like this. AndrAIa stood before him clad in lace and frills. A nightgown, teddie and garters. "What do you think" she said softly. "Am I pretty?"

Matrix stood up. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen".

She put her arms around his neck. "Give a girl a lift?"

He picked her up in his big arms. She rested her head on his chest and he carried her to the bedroom.

Matrix couldn't sleep. Instead he looked over at AndrAIa who was resting peacefully. She slept on her belly and he watched her back rise and fall with her breathing. He stared intently at the pigmentation that ran fom the base of her neck to her bottom and also ran down the back of her arms.

Although it was just a skin tone, it gave her the appearance of having scales, a reminder of her aquatic heritage. Matrix reached over and ran a finger down her back, gently so as not to wake her. He marvelled at her softness. He continued to do this until she stirred slightly so he stopped so as not to disturb her any further. He sighed deeply and decided to try and sleep, nightmares or not. He closed his eyes, fell asleep and the memories returned. All around him were tears and viruses, systems on the verge of crashing, despair and sadness. Sprites and Binomes were nullified and what was worse, there was no way home. he would never find Bob or see his Sister again. He saw himself as he was, a little sprite who grew embittered and angry with each passing day, a childhood robbed via the games and he grew despondent. He remembered the pain of his injuries after losing the first game. he remembered how sad AndrAIa was, he remembered the changes, the sense of loss and he screamed...

Matrix woke in AndrAIa's bed. She was nowhere to be seen. He was covered in virtual sweat and he gripped the bed covers tight. Well, at least he hadn't disturbed his lover. Thank the User for small miracles. He got up, dressed and found AndrAIa in the kitchen preparing their breakfast. She noticed how out of sorts he was.

"The dreams?" she said as she laid out their morning meal.

"Yeah" matrix replied.

"Do you remember your pomise?"

"Of course. Don't worry baby. I'm sure they'll pass in time". The couple ate breakfast together and afterwards Matrix kissed AndrAIa in the forehead and headed back to the Principle office.

AndrAIa was left alone with her thoughts. "I know you better than you know yourself lover". She decided to take matters into her own hands.

She opened a vid window to the Principle Office and asked to speak to Phong.