A/N: Holy Cow, you guys. Holy Moose. I've finally started writing in this thing after 4 years. I've got two chapters for you, one right on top of the other, and are they ever woppers. ... I suppose you could say that I got tired of the status quo and decided to mix things up a bit. Also, I highly suggest you reread the entire fanfic, both to familiarize yourself, and because as of 12/04/2008 I have done an edited of the whole thing. My writing style has changed, hopefully for the better. Best news yet, I think it's possible that I might actually even complete this thing, and I never do that.

Disneyland.

As soon as they arrived and got through gates into the park proper Matilda demanded they visit the tea-cups first. She'd heard of them, and ever since had thought it would be magical to ride them. She had first had this thought when she was about 7, but that didn't make it any less true.

The line, predictably, was taking a long time, but Jenny surprised her by walking away from the line and returning with a single chocolate dipped ice-cream cone.

"What about yourself?" Matilda queried, after taking her first enthusiastic lick around the base to get the drips that were already starting to form.

"Oh, I'll just have some of yours." And without so much as a "by your leave," Jenny bent down and took a bite out of the ice cream, breaking through the cold-hardened chocolate into the creamy vanilla center. She'd probably intended it to be funny, but it left Matilda with the familiar fluttery feeling that she knew could lead to disaster. Unnoticed by any, a pile of leaves behind Jenny swirled faintly. It could have been the wind.

Seeing Matilda look at her strangely, Jenny mock scowled.

"What? Do I have some left on my face."

So saying, she reached up and caught a bit of chocolate that still adorned her lip with her thumb, then stuck it in her mouth and licked it off.

This was the sort of utterly unselfconscious thing that Miss Honey was prone to doing, and she probably had no idea what it would do to any able bodied teenager, much less the one beside her who had a long standing and secret crush on her. Behind Miss Honey the leaves were moving more insistently now going in the opposite direction of the wind entirely. Matilda took a bite of the ice cream herself, to hide her blush. Did I actually think going to Disney Land with Jenny was a good idea? I'm a danger to everyone here. Dread stirred the butterflies in her stomach once more, but it was an emotion that luckily dampened the energy within her rather than increasing it.

Take a deep breath, you can do this, Matilda coached herself. Soon enough they had arrived at the front of the line. This was the kid's section of the park, and most of the people in line were younger children and their parents. But there was a boy and a girl directly ahead who were both roughly Mathilda's Age. With such long lines today, the policy was to fill the rides completely, so strangers were getting a fast introduction to each other. The boy and the girl stepped into the cup first and sat down together at a bench. Matilda and Jenny found seats on the bench at the opposite side.

The Tea-cup ride in Disney Land is centered in an Alice in Wonderland themed area. The ride is exactly what it sounds like: a series of independent giant sized tea-cups, each of which has what looks like a steering wheel sticking up right out of the middle, it's face toward the sky.

As soon as they have all sat down, the boy reached across to shake Jenny's hand.

"Tom,"

The girl reached across at the same time to shake Matilda's hand.

"Jerry."

They both were smiling. Then they they cross hands in identical practiced motions and shook the hand of the one they had missed. Matilda and Jenny took this in with bemused expressions and then introduced themselves likewise.

"Really, Tom and Jerry?" Jenny asked, her face the picture of suspicion.

"Yep, really." Jerry answered, still grinning.

"Are you... together?"

"Nope, best friends," said Tom as he put his arm around Jerry's shoulder's and squeezed. "We've known each other since first grade. What about you? Sister's?" He hazarded a guess. Since Miss Honey was 15 years older than Matilda, this was a stretch, but not impossible at all. Besides, Miss Honey looked more youthful due to the miracle de-aging power of being completely happy.

"Nope," Matilda said with a grin. "Best friends." She shot a conspirational look towards Miss Honey. "We've known each other since First Grade too."

Now it was Tom and Jerry's turn to sport bemused looks.

Rolling her eyes, Jenny extrapolated, "I was her First Grade Teacher."

"And I was her best student, so she had to adopt me." Matilda said, her voice taking on an overly enthusiastic tone that best could be described as that of a teacher's pet.

Before anymore conversation could be had, the chair began to slowly spin.

Jerry, and then Tom took hold of the wheel in the middle, then looked up at Matilda and Jenny. "Do either of you get motion sick?

At the woman's negative head shake, and the girl's "no" Tom and Jerry began to turn the wheel. It's counter clockwise motion instantly translated into a faster clockwise motion for the cup. Matilda, getting into the spirit of things, started to lend her hands and strength toward turning the wheel. And finally Jenny contributed as well. Soon they were all laughing hysterically, their hands flying on the wheel as they spun faster and faster. One unintended consequence of this is that Matilda started to slide on the plastic bench toward Jenny. Soon the whole side of her body from shoulder to shins was pressed against her once-teacher. They were both wearing T-shirts and shorts, in deference to the hot weather, so this included a lot of skin contact.

The predictable happened. Without really realizing it, Matilda sent her energy into the steering wheel. The chair began to spin with ever increasing speed, so much speed that Matilda felt she might actually get sick. The others were looking white as well, and they all released the the steering wheel at about the same time. Abruptly Matilda realized what she was doing, and with the realization came an image of the cup careening off its saucer shaped base and spilling its passengers in a mess of broken bones and screaming. The image was fleeting, but it was explicit and violent, and it served to put an end to all feelings of pleasure. Her mind lost its grip on wheel, and friction slowly brought the cup to its standard speed, which was restful enough. Everyone leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief, Matilda most of all. When the ride finally came to a halt, Tom looking impressed, insisted on shaking both their hand's again.

"I have never, ever got the teacups going that fast in my life with any other people. You two must be very strong."

The teen's departed.

Looking green, Matilda pointed at a shaded picnic table.

"Too much ice cream," she moaned. She'd stuffed down the rest of the cone before the ride began which wasn't necessary the best thing she could have done.

Putting a worried hand on her back, Jenny led Matilda to the picnic table and sat down across from her.

"Are you ok?" she asked, her voice sounding troubled.

"I'm fine, I just need a chance to breathe," Matilda said, her voice sounding far away. She put her head down on the cool table and stared at the freckles on her arm.

Jenny opened her mouth, her jaw working as if she had something she wanted to ask, but then thought better of it, then wanted to ask again.

Matilda's other hand, hidden under the table, made a fist, then tightened. Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask.

Jenny didn't ask.

After that, Matilda made sure that they didn't go on any rides that would force her and Miss Honey into close quarters. At first she had to force it, but by evening she was having nearly as much fun as she had started the day with. Jenny enjoyed herself too. But Matilda noticed that occasionally Jenny would look at her oddly, a thoughtful expression on her face that Matilda could not read.

Too tired after their long day, including the international flight that had dropped them off at the LAX at 6am, they decided to neglect any shows that might be happening that night and rode the Monorail to the Disney Land Motel. They ordered Chinese straight to their rooms, but before it had arrived Matilda was already asleep. Jenny ate her stir-fry alone, contemplating the sleeping girl.

There was an idea forming in her head that slightly disturbed Jenny. It explained a lot of things that she'd had no explanation for before. If it was true, she knew what it spelled. Mrs. T Mrs. R Mrs. O Mrs. B Mrs. L Mrs. E and that spells trouble.