A/N: Sorry the last chapter was so short, guys. It was a build up chapter, and the longest one I had time to write. But don't' worry, this on will be longer.

Todd looked up and gasped at seeing Monique leaning on the side wall of the cave, a concerned look in her eyes. Reflexively, he stood up.

"Sit down, Todd."

Todd sat back down and looked at the cave floor.

"Todd, look at me."

Todd raised his head slowly and looked at Monique as she walked slowly around the cave, avoiding his eyes under the ruse that she was checking out the décor and the nooks and crannies of a place Todd already knew.

"I thought I would find you here, Todd. You know, my brother used to speak about the Dead Poets Society all the time. He and his best friends started it in their sophomore year and continued it all the way thorough graduation. My brother loved the Society. He used to tell me about it- all these great stories about the adventures in literature he and his friends had taken," Monique sat on a rock next to Todd, a distant look in her eyes, "he used to write me letters about how much fun he was having away from home. He used to write, 'Mo-Mo, if only you knew how wonderful it was here. If only you could gather with us on our midnight meetings and know what its like to loose yourself in Thoreau, Whitman, Shelly. I miss you, Mo. But I'll see you soon, and I'll be sure and bring you plenty of poetry and stories. Love, John.' I used to hate it when he called me Mo-Mo."

Todd stared at Monique and watched as her shoulders began to shake gently. Softly, quietly, he leant over and began to rub her back, her body heat transferring to his freezing hands.

"Todd, why didn't you show up tonight. I was waiting for you- I was worried when you didn't show up."

"I'm sorry, Monique."

"Don't be sorry. Just tell me why you didn't come. Because you didn't want to?"

Todd looked at her in alarm.

"No! It wasn't that at all."

"Then why, Todd. Why didn't you come?"

Todd looked down and slid back to his rock and shoved his hands deep in to his pockets, finding them even colder now that they didn't have Monique's body heat to warm them. Todd shrugged his shoulders and muttered an ambiguous response, the one he always gave when he didn't know or want to give a real answer. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Todd, I won't settle for bullshit. I thought you knew that about me by now. Don't mutter that you had other things to do when I found you sitting here in the cave. Todd- Todd, look at me."

Todd looked up and met Monique's startling green eyes, which glowed with a passionate concern.

"I want the truth Todd."

"I didn't come because...because..."

Todd looked down again, scared to fall in to another trap of feelings, scared that this time he really wouldn't be able to get back up. Monique dipped her head, trying desperately to meet Todd's eyes again, to see the innocent worldliness that shone from inside them, the wisdom and experience that were beyond his years.

"Todd...Todd, please don't look down. Look at me. Why can't you look me in the eyes? Am I that scary?"

Monique giggled nervously, trying to pass off her attempt at a joke. Todd glanced up and smirked before averting his eyes back to the floor and shaking his head no.

"Then please just tell me."

Todd looked back at her and nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't come because...because I wasn't sure....wasn't sure that you really...really wanted me too."

Todd stammered his thoughts, scared to know that what he was saying would have consequences that even he couldn't see yet. Monique laughed gently and shook her head.

"Why would you think that? I asked you to come by, didn't I? I'm the one that invited you. How could you think that I wouldn't really over?"

"Because...because people do that all the time."

Todd was surprised at the anger that accompanied those words. He hadn't meant to sound bitter and angry, but he had. Monique recoiled as though she had been slapped, amazed at the anger with which the demure boy spoke.

"What do people always do, Todd?"

Todd found himself loosing control, felt himself ready to burst with feelings he had always wanted to share but never been able too. Todd looked down again, his face red with anger and frustration.

"That. Invite me places so that I don't fee left out. Treat me like a breakable object, not a person. No one understands anymore what its like to be me! That sounds so teen, but it's so true. Yes, my best friend died. But that's not it! He was the best friend of so many other people, yet they aren't being coddled. Why me? What is so god-damned special about me that I need to be coddled and treated like a fucking glass object about to shatter at any moment? Just once I wanted to be treated like a person. I want to get in a fight, want to be cursed at, want to be in trouble- not to be Todd, but to be another person entirely. You know, I was so jealous of Charlie when he got kicked out. He had acted on his impulses and had gotten in actual trouble. No one said- 'Oh, its ok, his best friend died so we'll let him do whatever he wants'. They kicked him out. Why can't I be Charlie? What can't I be Pitts or Meeks or Knox? Anyone but myself. I'm so damn sick of being myself."

Todd collapsed on the floor of the cave in front of the rock he had been sitting on and began to sob. The sobs racked his whole body. He continued to sob as he felt a warm hand his neck and a body slide down beside him. Before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning in and crying on Monique's shoulder as she tried desperately to comfort him.

"Shh...Todd. It's ok. Shhh...calm down Todd. Shhh...Todd, you don't want to be Charlie. Charlie's a good kid. And so are Meeks and Pitts and Knox. But they're not you. Todd, if you were them you wouldn't have the kindness and compassion I see in you everyday. You wouldn't have the poetic soul or open mind that I've come to love about you. You wouldn't have any of the traits that I love. People date boys like Charlie and Knox...they fall in love with boys like you."

Todd looked up, wide-eyed. This time it was Monique's turn to look down.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, Todd. Please don't make me repeat it."

Todd dried his eyes and nodded. A pressing silence filled the cave for a few moments before Todd pressed his hand to Monique's cheek and tilted her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"I...I love you too, Monique."

Todd leant forward and kissed her softly, shyly on the lips. Monique, warmed by this invitation, ran her hands through Todd's hair and pressed her lips more firmly to his. She nibbled playfully on his bottom lip and Todd ran his hands along her shoulders, removing her coat. They slid down to a lying position as their kisses increased in passion and intensity. Todd felt that familiar budge that usually accompanied thoughts of Monique. Todd reached under Monique's shirt and had just gotten his hands on the clasp of her bra when Monique's pushed his hands away and sat up, smoothing her hair.

"Hold on, Todd. We need to talk about this before we go any farther."

"Talk about what? You love me, I love you, and this is what people who are in love do!"

"I know, love, but we need to talk first. Todd, you're a student, I'm a teacher. If we ever get caught...I'm fired and you're expelled, at the least, if legal matters aren't' taken as well, of course. Not to mention that at the moment you have no protection of any sort, and that neither of us has thought fully about the repercussions of this relationship. Todd, we both need to think very seriously about this."

"Monique, I have thought very seriously about you since the day you set foot in Hell-ton Chapel. You have occupied every corner of my thoughts since your first class, when you told us you looked forward to seeing the genius inside us all. Monique, you have been in my dreams for months, my hopes for weeks, and in my grasp for minutes. You have to believe me when I say that I love you enough to take whatever risks you're willing to take with me. I know that you feel overwhelmed, so do I. But I love you. With all my heart. And when you love, you take risks. Even though one of those risks is getting hurt, or loosing your job, or getting pregnant. You have to take the risk Monique. They call should call it jumping in love. And if you want to jump, Monique, I'll be here to catch you."

Todd leant forward and began pressing gentle, heartfelt kisses on Monique's neck, and began unbuttoning her blouse slowly to reveal a glimpse of a lacy white bra. Monique moaned softly and ran her hands though Todd's hair, apparently giving in. Todd reached around and quickly undid Monique's bra, throwing it aside quickly. Todd continued to kiss every inch of Monique's bare flesh and the slid off her skirt quickly. Todd undressed before he continued to slide off Monique's panties and kiss her bare inner thighs softly. Hearing her moan, Todd felt himself grow more excited and he prepared to enter her quickly. Todd, though virginal, did the best he could. He didn't last long, but as the night progressed and their love-making continued, his progress increased. Todd soon became schooled in the finer points of lovemaking and, leaving the cave that morning looking ecstatic but tired, felt even more reserved in the love that he and Monique shared.

Todd and Monique tried their best to keep their relationship in class formal and professional, but the students soon noticed the two talking in close whispers, sharing a little giggle or a secret look across the room. The boys of Hell-ton, especially members of the Dead Poets Society, noticed a change in Todd as he became more outspoken and friendly in the hallway, and no longer looked at his feet when he walked.

Todd and Monique met every day, activities permitting, and before long, Todd was trying things he never thought he would. The relationship grew between the two until Todd relied on Monique fore everything emotional, basing his happiness on hers. One day in her office, as they finished a quick little romp before dinner, Monique laid her head against Todd's sweaty chest.

"Todd, maybe we should calm down. You know, the most passionate relationships don't always end well."

"Why are you talking about ending? I don't see any end in sight."

"Well, we should at least be prepared for the worst."

"All I want to prepare for right now is Hell-ton hash and maybe later a little but of you for dessert."

Todd sat up and kissed Monique before rushing back in to his school uniform, hearing the dinner bell ring. Todd sauntered in to the mess hall ten minutes later, joining the very end of the dinner line. By the time he had gotten his food and sat down, the other boys were just finishing eating. Todd ate quickly, avoiding the glances around him. He jumped when he heard a voice in his ear.

"He Todd, where were you? This is the third time this week that you've been late for meals."

"Hey Knoxious. I know. I was going over a paper with Ms. Keating and I lost track of time."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now? 'Going over a paper'," Charlie Dalton smirked over from the other side of the table. Todd blushed a deep maroon and stood up quickly.

"I've got to go do some history."

"Well, tell her we said hello."

Todd nearly ran out of the mess hall as the other members of the Society exchanged knowing glances and smirks.