And again. I go a little 'A Great and Terrible Beauty' on you later on, so please don't be shocked.

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It was nearly midnight before we made our way home, Gramma, Jack and I. He insisted on coming, just to see if the house really was in ashes, the whole way taunting about forgetfulness.

"See, Jack, it's perfectly fine." I gloated, sticking out my tongue at him like an eight year old.

"Did I ever say that it would be in ashes? I said it might be in ashes." He said, and I scoffed at him.

"You said that I was going to have to build the house all up by myself, not two moments ago." I taunted, giggling.

"Yes, but that was two moments ago."

I giggled again; sleep making everything funny, almost as though I had drunk the sherry that the older women had been drinking.

"So in the time span of just seconds you can change what you said?"

"Now you're not making any sense." He said, and I cachinnated, wiping my eyes from the tears of mirth.

"I'm sorry…I'm carrying on like a drunk…" I said amidst trying to control my laughter.

"Good thing we're getting you home…" he said, holding onto my elbow incase I teetered like a drunk "it's later than you're used to staying up."

I yawned, my gloved hand covering my mouth as I tried to clench my jaws shut.

"I haven't stayed up this late since…since ever." I said, and he nodded.

"I can tell."

Gramma gave us a look before she went inside the house, as if to tell us both that jack was to leave and I was to come inside and get to sleep before I made a complete fool out of myself.

"Jack, thank you for showing me such a wonderful time tonight." I said, immediately as coy and shy as a schoolgirl.

"It was nothing, if you want a good time you should see some of the summer festivals. I'll have to remember to take you next year."

"I'll be certain to make sure you uphold that promise, and not have you gone back on it two moments later." I smirked.

"Well that one I won't go back on."

"Oh? I don't see how it's any different from vowing my house would be burned to cinders."

"This one involves having fun."

"Mmmm, and so re-building the house of a defenseless older woman and young lady would be so much less fulfilling than going to a festival to be amused?"

"I wouldn't say that Gramma was defenseless, you should see her angry."

"You miss my point."

"I don't see how, you and Gramma seem perfectly capable of handling yourselves. After all, should worst come to worst, you could just charm some handsome, strong lads to work for you." He had tried to sound light, but behind his words was bitter resentment that drew me out of my stupor.

"Jack, I'm sorry…I mean, I didn't really think that it was right, but you know I haven't been one to know a thing about social situations, especially concerning men." I said, apologizing once again.

"Well you can't change what's been done, but you should be wary from hence forth." He said solemnly, and I nodded.

"I promise. Good night, Jack." I turned to go, but he caught my arm as though he wasn't finished.

I turned back, my eyes curious, but they widened in surprise the next second.

Jack leaned forward, and brought his lips onto mine, soft at first, but deepened when he found me not resisting.

I stepped into his chest, feeling his heart beat racing at the same pace as mine, and slid my arms from his chest to his neck.

There was an electric current flowing from both of us that made everything seem to glow brighter than the sunniest day in spring, even though it was probably past midnight.

My arms tightened as though to pull him closer, but he jerked back suddenly.

"I'm sorry, I lecture you about social improprieties and then…I beg your pardon, Genny. Good night."

And then he left, swift as dew in the morning, leaving me standing in the middle of the path, staring past him, and absently feeling my swollen lower lip in amazement of my first kiss.

I dazedly opened the door to the house, making my way blindly to my room in the dark, falling onto my bed without even undressing.

My weary eyes closed, and almost instantly I was dreaming…

I was walking along a familiar path, the cold night air stinging my lungs as it entered, and crystallizing the air before me as I exhaled, steaming the perfect still air with my hard breath, as though I had been running.

A little cottage appeared, and I entered quietly, going into a forbidden room I had never gone to before, but I knew it was there as though I had gone there many times before.

In a patch of moonlight he laid, quilted sheets molded around his form, and my heart raced at his very face, so beautiful as though he had been carved by angels.

His arm shifted, the quilt fell away, exposing his bare chest. My lungs constricted, and my chest felt like a balloon was expanding inside.

I walked toward him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, my touch waking him.

He blinked up at me, but I leaned down, covering his lips with mine, the taste of his mouth better than the sweetest bread.

His arms enveloped me, and he shifted me underneath him on the bed, his lips bruising yet gentile.

My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him onto me even as his hands found my breast.

Emotions I had never known existed seemed to explode inside me as his thumb rubbed little raw circles, and an acute awareness of every part of my body that I had never felt before made the situation even more heated.

My mouth drifted from his lips to his sweat salty neck, my hands drifting down his back.

I felt my thighs part, his hand tracing a line from my chest to between my legs, cupping a part of me I had never directly dealt with.

I felt a sudden surge of fright, realization that he was so much more powerful than I, and that if he felt inclined to do so, he could have me in a matter of seconds.

My hands flinched from his back to his chest, pushing him away.

His eyes were groggy once again, and he fell back on his pillow asleep as though nothing has happened.

I woke with a start, expecting to be in Jack's room, but found only mine, with the early signs of a sunrise lighting the wall paper.

My heart still raced from the excitement of his lips, I put a finger to mine, expecting them to be tumid and bruised, but they were as they always had been.

II shivered; my body ached with the loss of another body so close to mine and I had to remind myself incessantly it was a dream.

But at the same time I wished for anything in the world it hadn't been!

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I only used spell check, so there's bound to be some mistakes…

I apologize for being so…graphic…but I read AGTB so I kind of stole that from the great Libba Gray.

Sorry if it was a bit much.

To Queenie: Well, it was a bit longer...but not exactly mamoth.

Please Review!