OK, thanks to the many suggestions placed by readers, I've revamped this chapter. Thanks to MadTom and Emily for their suggestions, and I thank them for taking the time to help me improve my work.

When Leslie woke up, she was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to many machines which made stranged noises.

Why am I here? she thought. The rope broke, then nothing happened.

"Leslie!" a female voice called, then a woman had nearly suffocated her in a hug. "My baby! You're alive! My baby!" her mother screamed, crying and holding on to the thirteen year old.

At the scream, a nurse and Leslie's father had rushed into the room. Her father joined the hug and the nurse called for the doctor, who did a victory dance as Mrs. Burke kissed him on the cheek, thanking him over and over for saving her baby.

"Mommy? Daddy? Where am I?" Leslie asked in a weak voice unlike her own.

"Leslie, Leslie baby, you're in the hospital. You hit your head last week when the rope you were swinging on broke, and we'd though you drowned!" her father whispered, holing her like a baby and stroking her hair.

"Where-where's Jesse?"

"I'll call his father. You can sleep now."

Leslie did just that, even with her mother's tears, her father's thanking the staff over and over, and the doctor dancing like no one was watching.

--

"Jesse! Wake up!" Mr. Aarons said, shaking his son

"Wasgoinon?" Jesse asked, half asleep.

"Leslie! Leslie's alive!"

"Who? What time is it?" Still half asleep.

"Five thirty A.M.!"

"Then why the hell are you trying to get me up?"

"Your best friend is alive!"

Then reality hit him. "She-she's alive!?"

He hopped up and grabbed a jacket from the closet.

"What are we waiting for? Take me to her!" he demanded.

"That's why I woke you up! She asked for you!"

The two Aarons men took the two hour drive to the hospital, Jesse very jittery for the early hour.

They got there, and Mr. Burke met them in the waiting room.

"Their with me," he told the young woman behind the desk, who nodded as the three walked back.

Leslie's mother and nurse were in the hallway, and Mrs. Burke ushered him in. "Go here, it's Leslie's room."

Jesse walked in to see Leslie sitting up, reading a book like she was at home.

She looked up and suddenly started to cry. He walked to her and put his arms around her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as if he were talking to May Belle after she had a nightmare.

"Jesse! They thought I was dead!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's okay... Calm down..." he cooed, stroking her hair, but his emotion got through, and soon, they were hugging and crying like there was nothing better to do.

After a while, he pulled back a little to see her tear stained face. He subconsiously reached up and whiped away a stray tear, then started laughing.

After a moment of confusion, Leslie started laughing as well.

"Why are we doing this?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"We just lost our best friend, then got them back. What else is there to do?" he asked, but into his mind popped an answer.

He suddenly leaned forward and kissed her smack dab on the lips.

He pulled back quickly. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't think-"

"Shhh..." Leslie interupted him, placing her forefinger on his lips. "I liked it."

Then he kissed her again, and she responded by putting her arms around his neck and pulling closer to him. He slid his arms around her waist.

They broke apart breathless and red. After releasing each other, they started laughing nerviously.

"When it came time to leave, Jesse stood and made his way toward the door.

"Jesse?" Leslie said in a small voice.

"Yeah, Leslie?" he answered, turning to her.

"They say I can go home next week. Back to being your neighbor. Will you come here to ride back with me?"

"Of course I will."

--

A week later, Leslie was being carted to her parents' car in a wheelchair, Jesse at her side.

Tomorrow they would go to school together like always, and things would be back to normal. \

Or would they?

A/N: ALL reviews are welcome. Any spelling errors you see, feel free to point them out, and I'm looking for a beta, if anyone dares try to beta my eccentric work. Remember to reveiw!