Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the story Bridge to Terabithia

I am just a fan of one of the most emotionally powerful books that I have ever read.

A/N: For reminding me that: "Nothing Crushes Us." I am dedicating this chapter to my sagacious young friend Loonylover1331.

I would also like to thank all the wonderful people who have read and reviewed this story.

The Phone Call

Chapter 6

The old pickup truck bumped and bounced down the fire trail that wove it's way through the forest. The trail was a mostly over grown dirt road that cut across the Aaron's property, a precaution in case of forest fire. Fire fighting equipment could be quickly and easily brought in to battle any fire that might spark up there. Today, however, it was being used to bring in materials to build a bridge, a bridge to Terabithia.

Leslie Burke rode in the truck with Mr. Aarons, Bill saying he and Judy would be along later. Having enlisted the aid of his family to help in the project Mrs. Aarons followed the truck in the sedan with the rest of the Aarons clan.

They came to a small clearing where they parked just off the fire road, and from there about a hundred yards down a fairly level trail brought them to the construction site. Mr. Aarons, along with Brenda, Ellie, and Leslie busied themselves with carrying the wood and tools and other materials that they would need down to the banks of the creek. After they had moved every thing they needed to the construction site, Mr. Aarons set Brenda and Ellie to work clearing the way from the fire road to where the bridge would be built. Since Jesse would be in a wheel chair for a while they needed the trail to be wheel chair accessible. Brenda and Ellie were not at all happy about being put to work, but after a lecture from Mr Aarons on how important it was to Jess and how deeply depressed he is: that and the promise of a shopping trip eased their disgruntled attitudes.

Mrs. Aarons was on hand with some refreshments and May Belle was pressed into service watching and playing with Joyce Ann.

May Belle's guilt had been bubbling up inside of her, and she was feeling closed in on herself, and lost. She had been avoiding Jesse all that week he was in the hospital; always having an excuse as to why she didn't want to visit him. She just couldn't face him believing that she had caused the accident. Keeping to herself mostly, Mrs. Aarons had noticed she was sullen and knew that something was wrong. But her prodding were fruitless, May Belle remained tight lipped about her feelings. Mrs. Aarons was deeply concerned about her daughter, and would be keeping a watchful eye on her.

Bill arrived with Judy a short time later and soon everyone was hard at work at his or her assigned jobs. It could hardly be called work though, since everyone was enjoying themselves, Even Brenda and Ellie could not hide the fact that they were having fun.

As they worked Mr. Aarons was becoming quite impressed with the skill that Leslie displayed when it came to building things and using tools. He secretly wished Jesse was as adept as Leslie was. His respect for her grew and he was becoming acutely aware of what Jesse saw in the girl, she was special all right he thought to himself, she's one in a million.

Later, in an attempt to help, Bill was hammering some nails into a railing support; Mr. Aarons stopped him. He smiled down at Bill and said, "ah, um…Bill I think you should leave the building to me and Leslie." He winked over at Leslie and continued, "If we need a book written we'll let you know," he chuckled and slapped Bill playfully on the back and said, "I just don't want you to hurt yourself with that hammer." Bill's ego was bruised, he wanted to help, but he knew the elder Aarons was right, he was all thumbs when it came to building things.

"Ok," Bill began to ask, a little sheepishly" what would you like me to do then?"

"I know," Mr. Aarons said brightening with an idea, " you can go get us some pizza. I'm sure everybody's hungry."

"Yay…Pizza" went up the cry. Bill looked around at the expectant faces and said.

"Now that's something I can handle, " Bill's face grew a big grin; "I'll be back in a little while with the pizza." And with that he set off on his mission.

Leslie smiled and waved to her dad as he left to get the pizza. She had been struggling with mixed emotions. She was having fun and was enjoying everyone's company. Mr. Aarons, she thought was a great guy, so different from her original opinion of him. She could see a lot of young Jesse in him. She was even getting along pretty well with Brenda and Ellie. Her mother, she was happy to see, was enjoying Mrs. Aarons company, and they were lost together in animated conversation. But She wished Jesse could be here to enjoy the camaraderie and join in the fun. She felt a pang of guilt, here she was in Terabithia enjoying herself and having fun with Jesse's family, and her own parents, and he was laid up in a hospital bed depressed and lonely. She will be visiting him later though and hoped that she will be able to keep their little secret. But she thought that if she told him about the bridge it might pull him up out of his depression. It was going to be difficult not to tell him. Then later when she saw him, it was hard, but she held her tongue.

Jesse was happy to have visitors, especially Leslie; it was the only time he smiled the least bit. The rest of the time in the hospital was spent in a morose stupor staring out the window or watching TV. Reading was too difficult with only one hand free to hold the book. It was too frustrating, he couldn't turn the pages and the book kept falling when he tried. So he just gave into his depression lamenting his condition.

On Sunday afternoon they had finished building the bridge. Then everyone worked on clearing a pathway to the tree house that a wheel chair could easily roll over. Mr. Aarons Laid planks down over some particularly rough spots that would pose a problem, but it was mostly a smooth trail that they had carved through the forest, and everyone, including Brenda and Ellie were very pleased and proud of their accomplishments.

May Belle was still moping about and looking lost. Leslie had taken notice that she wasn't herself and tried to talk to her. May Belle was no more open to Leslie about what bothered her then she had been with her mother. So Leslie let it drop for now but kept an eye on her, she worried about what might be upsetting Jesse's little sister.

Monday crawled along slowly, Leslie was having a difficult time sitting still in class, and the waiting was excruciating. This was the day that Jesse was to be released from the hospital and they were going to surprise him with the bridge they had built. The great bridge to Terabithia she thought, and smiled to herself imagining Jesse's face when he sees what they have in store for him.

Fidgeting in her seat, she was practically staring at the clock. She was beginning to believe that the minute hand was not moving at all and tried to will it to do so.

Then finally the school day was coming to an end. Only another half-hour, she thought to herself, and she would be free, and be alone with Jesse.

Jesse knew he should be happy he was leaving the hospital today but he was just too numb to care. What will he do now he wondered, here he was crippled, he had to get around in a wheel chair, and with the use of only one arm he was dependent on others to wheel him around. It didn't matter to him that it was only temporary, to Jesse the two to three months or maybe more that it would take to heal might as well be a lifetime. All he knew was right now he was helpless, and he hated it. Then he thought about all the kids that would never be able to get out of their wheelchairs and he hated himself for being so damn selfish. Nothing could cheer him up right now, nothing.

When his parents came to get him they were all smiles and happy, giddy almost. Something was going on, something was weird. He just sat there in his wheel chair trying to look cheerful but his heart wasn't in it. As they checked him out of the hospital, papers were signed and appointments were made. There were appointments for check ups and therapy, and there would be more visits to the hospital for x-rays and new casts. His parents were being given instructions on how to care for their son, and how to handle bathing and other personal hygiene issues that will arise. Jesse was feeling uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken and he felt his face flush. He looked away hoping no one noticed his embarrassment.

It was a tight fit in the pickup truck, Jesse's cast covered body by the door and his mother smooshed in the middle between him and his father. His parents still had those silly grins on their faces. He wondered what could be going on between them.

Curiously as they drove up the road toward their home his dad swung the truck up the Burkes driveway. Jess looked over at his father turning his head as far as his neck brace would allow, looking side-eyed at him. They pulled up and stopped in front of the Burke's house, Leslie was on the front porch waiting for them. She ran down the steps and came up to the truck. Then even more curiously his dad slid out of the truck and his mother followed. Then more curious still Leslie slid in next to him.

"What...what's going on?" he asked Leslie, as his dad got back into the truck.

"Close your eyes," Leslie said producing a scarf.

"Huh?"

"Close your eyes Jess, and put on this blind fold," Jesse was apprehensive but obeyed and closed his eyes. Leslie then tied the blindfold on and asked if he could see anything.

"No I can't see a thing," he said, then he asked, "What's going on?" his mind was racing, what could they be up to he wondered.

The truck bounced down the road jostling the three occupants, where was he going? Where were they taking him? He chuckled as he asked out loud what was going through his mind, "Where are you taking me?…Where are we going?"

"You'll just have to wait and see Jesse Aarons," Leslie said, sounding even giddier then his parents had been.

Mr. Aarons stopped the truck at the mouth of the path that led to the newly built bridge. He set the wheel chair down then lifted Jesse out of the truck and gently placed him into it. Still blindfolded and confused he laughed nervously as Leslie wheeled him easily over the new trail they had made. Mr. Aarons called after them, "be careful, I'll be back in a little while to pick you up."

"Ok Mr. Aarons," Leslie called back to him.

Mr. Aarons, after having built the bridge with Leslie knew that Jess was in the best of hands. He knew Jess would be safe with Leslie, he was sure of that. She was quite capable and he had total trust in her abilities.

"Hey what's going on? Where are you taking me?" Jesse asked, he was starting to get nervous and panicky. He reached for the blindfold as he was becoming more frantic.

"Oh no you don't," she said, and checked his hand. "Just another minute and we'll be there."

"Where?" He asked, reluctantly resigning himself to his plight. He settled back down in his chair and grumbled to himself.

Pushing him up to the bridge she stopped, and said, "ok, now you can take off the blindfold." Leslie helped as he struggled with one hand to pull it off; he opened his eyes and looked up. There before him was a newly built, freshly painted bridge spanning the creek beneath where the enchanted rope had hung. Above, on an archway overhead was a plaque upon which were written the words "Terabithia...Nothing Crushes Us."

"Wow," was all Jesse could say. His eyes lit up as he took in this wonder.

Leslie leaned over bringing her face next to his, her eyes glancing sideways to look at him.

"Do you like it?" She asked him.

"Wow...Who...How?" He was speechless.

"Everybody helped," she said, " it was mostly your dad and I that built the bridge. Even Brenda and Ellie helped with clearing the trail. It was a lot of fun." Then with sadness in her voice she said, " I just wished that you were here with us." Then brightening again she said, "but you're here now."

Jesse was amazed at what they had done for him. He knew he should be happy, he should be happy for her if not for himself. She seemed to be happy. He was still just numb, sitting there in that chair feeling sorry for himself.

Then Leslie said as she started pushing the wheel chair across the bridge.

"Come on let's go to the castle," as if he had a choice. He was a prisoner and Leslie was the jailer, what could he do. He couldn't get up and run away, he was trapped. He hated the way he felt right at that moment, he hated everything. He hated the bridge, he hated the castle, he hated the wheelchair, he hated Leslie, and he hated that he had no control. He hated that he was beholding to Leslie that he was dependent on her, bound to her.

Leslie had practiced wheeling the chair over the trail on the previous afternoon. Ellie had volunteered to fill in for Jesse since she was nearest to his size and weight. After some trial and error and much giggling Leslie had many of the problems she might encounter worked out. She wouldn't want to dump Jesse out of his chair on his first day out of the hospital, and his first trip to Terabithia since the accident.

She wheeled him easily over the course, although a few times she struggled over a particularly rough area, but the trail was mostly smooth and level, quite different from how Jesse remember it. A considerable amount of work had been done to clear it he thought, and he hated that too. What have they done to Terabithia?

Leslie wheeled him right up to the tree house and parked him underneath it. There was no way he was going to be able to climb up into it, not for a while anyway.

"I told you I'd figure out some way to get you to Terabithia." Leslie said as she sat down next to him on a stool that had been brought out there the previous day. Then looking over at Jesse she saw his blank expression and vacant eyes.

"What's wrong Jess? I thought you'd be happy?"

"I don't know," he said, "I guess I'm happy."

"No you aren't Jess, something's wrong, what's bothering you?"

"Well I…I guess…"

"What is it Jess, what hast vexed thee, my king?"

She coaxed a smile out of him but it was short lived.

Then he looked up at Leslie, he knew he didn't hate her, he couldn't hate her. She was his best friend. It was because of her that he was all busted up and had to be in this wheel chair. He had been trying to protect her, and make her happy, and he would do it all over again if he had to.

"It's just that I'm all crippled up…and…"

"But you'll heal Jess, it'll just take some time, and I'm here to help you: my king."

"Yeah, well… I've got all these pins and screws and stuff in me… I have more hardware in me then my dad has in his hardware store." He said, and Leslie laughed at this.

"It's not funny Leslie." Jess said, he was having a hard time trying not to laugh. He didn't want to laugh, but he couldn't help himself, Leslie's laughter was infectious and soon he was laughing too, and many of his earlier anxieties faded away a bit with the laughter.

After their laughter had subsided and there was a quiet lull, Leslie spoke up, "You know Jess," she said, "I'm still a little angry with you."

"You are? Why?" He asked looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face, "what did I do?"

"First," she began, in a stern voice, "you lied to me, don't ever lie to me again Jesse Aarons, not ever."

"Ok…I won't," he said looking like a scolded puppy.

"And second, you should have told me about the rope and why you cut it down."

"Ok… jeesh. I'm sorry." He said rolling his eyes, but knowing that he needed to heed her words.

"You should be sorry," she said, then she softened and continued. "Judy said I shouldn't be too hard on you though, she said that you couldn't help yourself because of the testosterone poisoning."

"The test… what poisoning?" He piped looking over at Leslie, confusion showing on his face. Leslie then leaned in close to him, smiled a sly little smile, raised her eyebrows and said, "you're a boy."

"Oh," he said, still unsure what she meant. He'd have to look up testosterone

He didn't want to show her how stupid he was.

Leslie saw that Jesse was looking sad again, and she tried to cheer him up, "come on," she said, smiling at him and ruffling his hair, "cheer up Jess." He wouldn't even smile at her now. She was becoming very worried about her friend. He was more then just plain ordinary unhappy he was really depressed. She read about things like this and the more she thought about it the deeper her concern became.

"So come on Jess tell me what's bothering you, really."

"I don't know. I don't think I…"

"Jesse, don't lie to me. Not saying what's bothering you is almost like lying." She gave him a hard look like she was looking right through him. Like she would be able to see his thoughts.

"Well…Ok" He said taking a deep breath, " you remember when we first came here and you found the rope swing?"

"Yeah," she said smiling at him remembering that wonderful day.

"Remember you said we need a place…a place just for us, and we wouldn't tell anyone about it."

"Yeah," she nodded her smile was fading from her face, she sensed she knew what he was about to say.

"Well," he said, "now the whole world knows about it."

Leslie's face fell with the realization of what she had done.

"I'm so sorry Jess. It's just that you looked so sad, I had to do something. Then I thought about building a bridge, but I couldn't build a bridge all by myself. So I asked your father for help."

"You asked my father?" He asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, he turned me down at first," she said, and smiled at him. "Then something or someone change his mind."

"Leslie," he began with a sad sigh, "It's not your fault. I did it, I told the doctors and the nurses when I was all drugged up with painkillers. I didn't know what I was saying. Then later I told my father…"

Jesse drew another deep sigh and looked Leslie in the eye, the beginnings of tears glistening in his own eyes.

"It didn't seem to matter anymore now that the rope is gone and I'm all busted up. Terabithia doesn't exist anymore."

"Jess…Don't say that…" She said kneeling down in front of him, she took hold of his hand and looked deep into his pained eyes. "Jesse," she began, "Terabithia does exist. It belongs to you and me and you and me only. It's not just a place Jesse, it's in here," she said as she placed a finger to her temple, "and it's in here," she continued as she poked a finger gently at his bandaged chest over his heart.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your mind wide open?"

"Yeah."

"Then close your eyes Jess and keep your mind wide open" He obeyed and closed his eyes.

"Do you see it Jess?" She asked after a few moments.

"What am I looking for?"

"Terabithia Jess… do you see it?"

Leslie watched Jesse's face. He just frowned and looked so sad.

"I don't know Leslie," he sighed, his eyes still tightly closed, " I think the magic is gone."

"Help!…Help!" Came the faint cries, Jesse was startled out of his reverie. "That sounds like May Belle," he screeched struggling to get up out of the chair.