AN: Thank you...

Thank you Emily for reviewing ! I really appreciated what you said about the fact that "Rome wasn't built in a day!" but hey, perhaps it was, just a really, really, really long day. :P And your rambling was, in fact, appreciated. I almost scrapped the story because I lost the rest of it, I think my mom threw out the papers it was on.. :( But I decided to continue the best I possibly could ! As to not deny you more Fanfictions !

We Rule Terabithia, and Nothing Crushes Us , breezy

Standard Disclaimer Applies: I own nothing, nada zip, except maybe bits of the plot. All characters and settings are the property of Katherine Peterson and Disney/Walden Media. I have not recieved payment of any sort for this. Merely fanmade.

Back To Arlington?

Chapter One

The Gift

There was exactly a month until Leslie Burke was moving back to Arlington. Bill was forever asking her to help with the packing, because, like when they moved in, Judy was in the middle of another book , so Jess didn't get to see much of her, except for at school. He wouldn't even see her over the summer! A week before the Burke's were due to leave, Jess went over to see Bill. He had noticed some old lumber in a pile near the back of the house. Probably from his last renovations to the house. Leslie's balcony! Of course! That's what it was from. Jess could see it from his bedroom window and he often stayed up and watched Leslie just read. The balcony had a half wall, that was painted a pale blue, with a fat white stripe through the bottom, alike to the exterior of the house. The top was covered with a sort of transparent Plexiglas, and it had a roof over top. Jess had never been in it, but from what he could see, Leslie had decorated it in a Victorian motif. She had an old looking two seater couch, a small end table that had a light that resembled an oil lamp, and she also had one small bookcase in there. Jess had often seen Leslie fall asleep on the two seater, and not wake up until Judy came to check on her at three in the morning.

Leslie answered the door. "Hi Jess!" Leslie exclaimed, "What d'ya wanna do today?"

"Well, Leslie, I was wondering if I could talk to your dad..." he said. Leslie looked at him with an odd expression.

"Uhh, okay. C'mon in." Bill was labeling boxes in Leslie's room with her. "Mr. Bur-"

"How many times Jess, am I going to have to ask you to call me Bill?" Jess looked uneasy. "Um. Bill, could I talk to you outside?" One of Leslie's eyebrows shot up. "Okay Jess." They walked out into the hallway. Jess could hear the distant tap of Judy's typewriter. "Um. Bill. Could I use the wood out back?" Jess asked nervously. "Sure Jess. What for?"

"Well, you know, I had this idea..." Jess took a step closer and told Bill, "I want to build Leslie something as a going away present. Not too big though." Bill looked thoughtful."I see. If you need a hand, just ask."

"Okay. Thanks Mr. Bu- Bill," he finished with a laugh, "Bye!" he called out to Leslie as he passed her room again on the way out. She had tape stuck to her mouth from trying to rip it to size. "Vye Veth!" Jess burst out laughing. So did Leslie, although she still had the tape on her mouth when Judy came down to tell her to stop the racket.

Jess woke up the next morning knowing what he was going to make Leslie. Well, he didn't know for sure, but he had some ideas. He thought about making her a bookshelf for her new house, but that just didn't seem right, he could make her a box for all her books and journals, but that didn't seem right either.

He finally settled on something Terabithian. He was going to build a bridge in place of the rope. He had many nightmares in the past year, well, one nightmare, although reoccurring. In it, he and Leslie were going to Terabithia, while Leslie went across after him, the rope gave way, snapping, and the last thing he saw before he woke up was Leslie falling into the raging creek below. He couldn't let that happen, even if it only was a dream. He got out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and went downstairs for a quick bowl of cereal. He had to work quickly, before Leslie got up and out to see him, and he had to keep her from Terabithia until he was done. Not such an easy task he decided. Terabithia was their place, hers as much as his, and to keep them away was almost impossible. But he knew two people he knew would help him...