The inspiration for this story was the 1978 film Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty and James Mason. Mason plays the character of Mr. Jordan. In my story the character of Mr. Mason is a nod to the actor. The film itself is a remake of the 1941 movie Here Comes Mr. Jordan.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Bridge to Terabithia, Heaven Can Wait, or Here Comes Mr. Jordan.

Something Special

At first Jesse wasn't quite sure why he turned down Miss. Edmund's offer to go to the museum. It seemed like a dream come true. He couldn't have been happier. Yet, when Jesse thought of Leslie something inside him changed. He saw her face in the rain as she waved goodbye while struggling to hold PT. That moment was forever etched into his mind. At that instant Jesse had been happier than he ever had been before and he owed it all to Leslie Burke. In fact he felt he owed a lot to his best friend. Having been given the choice between spending the day with his teacher or his best friend, Leslie won by a landslide.

Jesse made up his mind to do something nice for her, something special. Just what he was going to do he didn't know but it would definitely involve Terabithia. Jesse completed his chores, grabbed his sketchbook and some pencils then set out for their kingdom. Going to Terabithia alone felt weird and somehow wrong but it was all for a good cause. Jesse would be able to do whatever it was he was going to do and be back in time to escort his queen to their castle.

Jesse ran to Terabithia as fast as he could make himself go. He was running so fast for a moment he felt like not only the fastest boy in the fifth grade but the fastest in the world. Of course Leslie was faster but he didn't want to think about that at the moment. By the time Jesse made it to the enchanted rope he was exhausted. Yet, despite being dog tired he felt happy. It was a good run to be sure but that wasn't what made him so content. No, it was the thought of seeing Leslie's wonderful smile when he showed her his surprise. Of course he still needed to figure out just what that surprise was going to be.

Jesse was confused by these new found feelings he developed for Leslie. He wasn't sure exactly what he felt. Did he love her? Did he love her like his dad loved his mom? Was he even old enough to understand that? Jesse pushed the questions aside. Right now his priority was doing something special for Leslie and that was all that mattered. Jesse looked around for the branch they used to reach the rope. He secured his sketchbook inside his jacket and grabbed the rope. Jesse tightened his grip as he looked down at the water. The creek was higher than usual and the rope was still slick from all the rain. Once he felt secure he stood on their "launch log" and jumped off. For that first moment he felt the familiar blend of exhilaration and fear he always felt going across. That feeling only lasted a moment. In the next instant Jesse heard a thunderous snap and felt the security of the rope slip away. Just as he hit the water Jesse again saw the face of his best friend as she smiled and wave goodbye. In that last fleeting moment he realized he loved Leslie Burke.

Leslie Burke was anxious to get home. She wanted to see her best friend and go to their magical kingdom that only they knew about. She originally planned on going over to his house early so they could spend more time together. Yet, her parents enticed her with a trip to the bookstore. Not living near the city this was a rare treat. Leslie thought about inviting Jesse but her friend wasn't exactly the reader she was. His passion was drawing and painting. If they had been going to an art store she wouldn't have hesitated. However, going to the bookstore with two accomplished authors was a rare moment that she could spend with her parents alone.

When Bill Burke pulled the car into their driveway Leslie immediately noticed the presence of several police vehicles in the Aaron's driveway. Her heart began to beat faster and she felt a sick sensation develop in her stomach. Judy Burke looked back at her daughter and could see the fear spread across her face. She wanted to comfort her child and tell her everything was okay. After all they didn't even know what was wrong. There was no reason to suspect something happened to Jesse.

"Mom, I need to go see Jesse" Leslie said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Judy noticed that not only was her daughter on the verge of tears but she addressed her as "mom" a rarity for her twelve year old.

"I know sweetie, we'll find out what's going on okay?" she said trying to calm Leslie down. Judy escorted her into the house while Bill made his way next door to try and get some information. Leslie ran up to her room and immediately to the window. She could see part of the police cars through the trees but little else. She wanted to go find Jesse and then run as fast as they could to Terabithia. Whatever was wrong couldn't hurt them there. It was the only place they were ever safe.

"Nothing crushes us" she whispered to her self as a tear fell from her eye. She curled up on her bed and held onto a pillow wishing all the while it was Jesse.

Jesse found himself sitting in a very fancy chair in a very fancy room. It reminded him of some pictures Leslie showed him of some old English houses. If he remembered correctly they were called Victorian or something like that. Leslie found it all very impressive while Jesse felt it looked more like a museum than a home. He was afraid to move from the chair for fear of breaking something. The room had hardwood floors with several elaborately designed rugs underneath the furniture. Jesse instinctively checked the bottom of his shoes. He didn't want to dirty up the expensive looking rugs. His mom got plenty mad whenever he tracked dirt into the house. Whoever owned this place would probably blow their top if he got mud on the expensive rugs.

There was one thing Jesse was sure of; Leslie would definitely love this room. If not for its style then for all the books that graced the walls. Books filled the room from one end to the other rising from the floor to the ceiling. There were so many that Jesse figured not even Leslie could read them all. As he scanned the book titles he noticed a man standing on a rolling ladder, much like the one he had seen in a bookstore once. This ladder, however, went much higher and seemed overly elaborate considering it was just a ladder. The man, whom Jesse figured must be older than his dad, seemed completely unaware of his existence, or so he thought.

"I'll be with you in a moment young man" the older man suddenly said in a decidedly English accent. As Jesse sat bewildered about his current predicament he failed to notice the Englishman was now standing right in front of him.

"Mr. Jesse Oliver Aarons" he said as he peered at a gold stopwatch attached to his vest by a gold chain. He was dressed in a black three piece suit with a white collared shirt and an unusually vibrant blue tie. The suit seemed to fit perfectly. "My, my you are rather early Jesse" he said as he pulled a small notebook and a pair of glasses from his inside coat pocket. "Let's just see why you have arrived so prematurely" he said as he sifted through his notebook. Jesse noticed the man's expression change several times as he read through the pages. He occasionally mumbled something to himself and often seemed to look as though he couldn't believe what he was reading. "Well Jesse it seems we have something of a dilemma. You shouldn't be here."

Jesse felt more and more confused with each passing moment. He didn't even know where he was let alone why he shouldn't be there.

"Uh, excuse me sir but who are you…exactly?" he asked hesitantly. The man looked as though he suddenly remembered having left the stove on before leaving the house. At least that's how Jesse interpreted it.

"My apologies Jesse, I appear to have forgotten my manners" he said as he shook Jesse's hand. "My name is Mr. Mason. Normally I would be here to…assist you in transitioning but today my dear boy, today I'm here to tidy up this little mess you've managed to fall into" Other than learning his name was Mr. Mason Jesse didn't feel any more enlightened on where he was or why he was here.

"Well, what exactly did I do wrong?" Jesse asked a bit afraid of hearing the answer. "Am I in some kind of trouble?" Mr. Mason laughed as he took a seat in the chair across from Jesse.

"No, Jesse you're not in trouble and you've done nothing wrong. In fact what you have done is quite remarkable. We see very few cases such as yours" he said as he leaned back in his chair. "However, let me start by asking you a question and perhaps that will shed some light on why you're sitting in that chair." Jesse wanted to ask another question but decided to let Mr. Mason continue with his questions instead.

"Tell me Jesse why didn't you accept the lovely Miss Edmund's invitation to the museum?" It was the same question Jesse asked himself before going to Terabithia. He may have not been sure of his motives early that morning but he certainly was now. The fact that he was talking to a complete stranger that seemed to jump out of some old British movie no longer concerned him.

"Leslie" he said simply. "I wanted to do something special for Leslie." Mr. Mason nodded his head and studied the boy for a moment. He seemed both puzzled and impressed with Jesse.

"Jesse what happened when you swung over the creek into Terabithia?" Mr. Mason finally asked. Jesse had to think for a moment. He couldn't remember ever actually going into Terabithia that morning. Of course he made the swing across so many times he probably just forgot.

"Well, uh…actually I don't remember making it into Terabithia" he answered. "I remember hearing a loud crack and then…" he stopped as he remembered that last moment.

"Then what Jesse?" Mr. Mason inquired.

"Then I saw Leslie's face and I knew I loved her" he said with a sudden realization of his final moments.

"That was your last thought, that you loved Leslie Burke?" Mr. Mason asked.

"Yes sir. I don't remember anything after that…well except for showing up here and to be honest I'm not exactly sure how that happened" Mr. Mason sat silent for a few moments. The gentleman studied Jesse very carefully.

"Remarkable" he said. "Simply remarkable"

Leslie sat on her bed for what seemed an eternity. With each passing minute her mind conjured up one horrible scenario after another. No matter how hard she tried to push them away they remained. She even failed to notice PT snuggle up next to her. He had a gift for sensing when his mistress was upset and always stuck by her until she was herself again. The dog's sudden dart off the bed finally got Leslie's attention. As she looked up she saw her parent's walk in. The somber look on their faces spoke volumes.

Leslie felt afraid as Bill and Judy sat down on her bed. They were preparing to tell her something she didn't want to hear.

"Sweetie" her father began. "There's been an accident." Leslie gripped her pillow tightly and began to shake her head.

"Jesse is okay isn't he?" she asked as tears fell down her cheeks. Bill looked into the eyes of his daughter and hated himself for what he had to do.

"No, sweetie he…he's not okay" he said solemnly. "Jesse tried to cross the creek over in the woods where the two of you play" he continued. "They said the rope swing broke and Jesse hit his head on a rock." Leslie felt an empty feeling inside her. It was like the sun suddenly disappeared and she was left in darkness. The thought of Jesse being hurt or worse was terrifying. Just the image of him falling into the creek was painful. Why did he go alone? They never went to Terabithia alone.

"Jesse isn't dead he can't be" she cried as Bill looked over to his wife.

"No, he isn't dead Leslie" Judy said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Jesse isn't dead but…he's hurt really bad." Leslie looked to her parents in disbelief. Jesse wasn't dead but the way her mother was speaking it sounded like he was close to it. She wanted them to tell her Jesse would be okay. Even though he was hurt he would fine in a week or two. She saw no such reassurance in their faces.

"Where is he? Can I go see him?" she asked.

"He's in the hospital sweetie" Bill said as he stroked her hair. "You can't see him right now but Mrs. Aaron's is going to let us know when you can okay?" Bill tried to sound more upbeat but he knew how dire the boy's situation was. The fact that he was alive at all was a miracle. If he lived through the night it would be an even bigger miracle.

"Sir, would you care for a cup o' tea and some biscuits?" a stout woman with fiery red hair asked Jesse. Startled by her sudden appearance Jesse nearly jumped out of his chair. He was quickly learning that people just sort of appeared and disappeared in his new surroundings. Mr. Mason seemed to move from place to place without Jesse even realizing he had left. Jesse still couldn't figure out how he ended up in this strange, quirky library. He turned his attention to the woman and accepted her offer though he never had tea before.

"Um, excuse me ma'am but could you please tell me where I am?" Jesse asked. He wanted to make sure he asked while he could still remember to do so. The woman turned to him with a kindly smile.

"Oh, you can call me Miss Bantry dear" she said handing him a small plate of cookies. "As for where you're at, well Mr. Mason will fill you in on all that. He can be a bit blustery at times but don't you worry you're in good hands" she said as she started to sing to herself. Jesse thanked Miss Bantry and turned his attention to his snack. He had never seen cookies like this before but he certainly liked the taste. In fact he even found the tea appealing. Now absorbed by tea and biscuits he again missed the entrance of Mr. Mason.

"Ah, I see Miss Bantry has been here" he said as walked up to Jesse. "I hope the tea is to your liking Jesse" he asked. Jesse nodded his head as his mouth was stuffed with a delicious mixture of biscuits and tea. "Excellent. Well then, it's time for you to begin your journey young man." Jesse was relieved to know he would finally be getting some answers. As good as the tea was he was ready to get moving.

"Sir, where are we going?" he asked as he followed Mr. Mason down a long hallway with a marble floor. Jesse could see his reflection in the glistening marble. All around him everything felt warm and open. The hallway was lined with paintings of all kinds. There were portraits, landscapes, even what appeared to be a child's crayon creation.

"To Lark Creek my boy" Mr. Mason answered as they disappeared into a bright, blinding light.

Thank you for reading