A/N: I just went back and edited this chapter in a minor way because a reviewer noticed that it contradicted what I wrote in chapter 9. I removed all mention to Jenny having any sort of sexual experience, not matter how little. This is what happens when you start working on a fic four years after you quit wrting in it.

Her soft lip pressed Matilda's lips, opened up and let the bottom one in. She nibbled lightly on it, then stuck her tongue coyly into Matilda's mouth, a swift teasing twirl and then it was gone. Her hands roamed under Matilda's shirt, but stayed chastely to her back and belly. Even so, she felt intensely the trails of fire they left. Every thing Shauna did evoked fire. Finally, feeling something blaze too highly within, Matilda had to tear herself violently away.

A boulder behind Shauna's shoulder shuddered and rolled a couple feet.

Matilda turned and looked at Shauna who was breathing heavily, her face bright red, her hair displaced where Matilda had run though it with her hands.

"Sorry." Matilda muttered.

"This is so frustrating!" Shauna growled.

"I can't help it."

"Why do you have to pull away? Its shocks my system." she complained.

"I can't help it. I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"I know but…Oh, well. Lets go."

The mood was definitely broken. But the day was still pretty and the two girls were enjoying their romp through the forest.

"I wonder if anyone will notice the new placement of the rock." Shauna said, poking Matilda on the side.

"If they notice it at all, and people have an amazing ability not to notice things, they will put it to natural forces."

"It was a natural force. It was the natural force of your arousal."

"Eh."

"Well, its true isn't it? The more aroused you feel, the bigger the explosion."

"Don't put it like that, it sounds wrong."

"What? I'm just saying that the more excited you get, the bigger the fireworks."

Matilda made a face. It sounded like Shauna was talking about sex. Matilda did not really want to think about sex. Especially since she was wondering if she would ever be able to have sex. In the far, far, future, she meant. She didn't want to have sex right now, but later, when she was older. But she did want to be able to kiss her girlfriend.

"I wonder what would happen if we didn't stop." Shauna chattered on. "Would… Hmm."

Matilda had kissed her again. She kissed her firmly and insistently, like she had something to prove, which she did. The kiss went on much longer than any of the others they had shared so far. But in the end, Matilda could not help but push Shauna away from her. Her eyes alighted on the same boulder as before and it began to move. Unfortunately, the boulder was now slightly above them on a slope. The first shake had uprooted it and the second started it rolling down the mountain. As it moved it gained momentum, soon hurtling straight at the two girls.

Shauna grabbed Matilda and pulled her of path of the large rock, landing beside her on the grassy hill.

They both stood up slowly, watching as the boulder bounced thunderously down the hill, to land finally in the creek below.

"Uh, Shauna?" Matilda turned to her girlfriend. "I think we should avoid doing that, for awhile. At least until I get this under control."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

They hurried back to the town, the mood now spoiled entirely, both of them quiet and thinking their own thoughts. Near the school, they split up, Shauna going to her mother's apartment for Sunday supper. Matilda gave Shauna a hesitant hug before they separated.

"So how was your walk?" Jenny said, a glint in her eyes. "Interesting?"

Matilda blushed, but returned to her glum state. "It was ok."

Concerned, Jenny touched Matilda's back before she could disappear to her room. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, I uh, I've got homework to do."

"Okay, I'm here for you, if you want to talk, you know."

"Uh huh."

Jenny watched Matilda hike slowly up the stairs to her room. Matilda was growing up, it seemed, which was odd, because Jenny had never really thought of her as a child, her sophisticated banter and mature opinions obscuring the fact that she was a teenager until now.

She remembered back to when Matilda was twelve. Traditional home schooling advice pamphlets had recommended that it was time to give her some basic Sex. Ed. To Jenny's surprise, Matilda had interrupted her first stuttered sentence and candidly related to Jenny the contents of the book she was using for reference.

"I did read the whole library, you know, adult section included. "

But for relationship help, which Matilda clearly might need, Jenny had very little to give her. Jenny had been dominated by her aunt for too long to have had any relationships in highschool, and then she had met Matilda and raising Matilda had become her life. Nine years, that was a long time. She tried to imagine her life without Matilda and couldn't. Without Matilda she would still be living alone in a small hut with no furniture. Eventually Matilda would be 18 or 20 and she would marry, or get into a committed relationship of some kind and certainly leave. The thought hurt her heart. She knew it was only a precursor to how she would feel when Matilda finally left.

In the night, Jenny awoke to find the whole house shaking. Pictures fell off the walls; bookcases all over the house spilled their contents. She just hoped that it would not fracture the foundation. When it was over she found a traumatized Matilda standing in her underwear beneath a door frame with her eyes tightly shut.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, burrowing her head into Jenny's shoulder as soon Jenny reached her.

Jenny patted her back, trying to soothe the hysterical girl.

"I didn't mean to, it's all my fault. I just wanted to know what it felt like, you know?"

"I know," Jenny murmured.

"I can't even kiss Shauna without almost killing her!"

"It's ok, I'm sure she doesn't mind."

"But she does, I know she does!"

"Mattie!"

Matilda looked up. Jenny reached down and touched Matilda's tear streaked face. She crouched besides her, petting her hair.

"Matilda, you and Shauna only got together a few days ago. I'm sure she would not mind you slowing down a bit. In fact, she might welcome it. Lay off on the physical stuff for a while and strengthen your friendship."

Jennifer heard the wise words coming issuing her mouth, but didn't know where they came from. It seemed that when the need was great, the words came anyway.

Matilda nodded her head solemnly and wiped her eyes. She saw that she had yet again left a wet patch on Jenny's shirt, which she touched, feeling wetness of her tears. It seemed like she was doing that a lot recently.

"I'm sorry about your shirt."

Jenny looked down at her shirt. She smiled and wiped another tear off of Matilda's chin.

"Don't worry about it. It's only salt water."

The both stood up, turning to look at the disorder around them.

"I am not enjoying this." Matilda said, crossing her arms and frowning petulantly. "Last time was much more fun. The difference between having power and being able to control it and having a power and not being able to control it is the difference between a good dream and a terrible nightmare."

Jenny wrapped Matilda in a hug. Matilda knew that it was supposed to be comforting, but for Matilda it only brought back the sensations of numerous dreams. She shivered. Yeah, it was all about control.

"Are you cold?" Jenny asked.

"No, sleepy." Matilda hoped that Jenny would not turn around and see the books she was holding aloft behind her. It siphoned away the warm feeling in her chest, but now that Jenny knew what caused the lifting force, it was like a bright sign illuminating her feelings.

"Then, goodnight Mattie."

"Good night Jenny."