Okay, so I broke my promise – it was more than five months since my last update. I'm sorry! Even I had to go back and re-read what I had written before—I'm sorry that you guys will probably have to do the same. And I hope you guys will understand.

Enjoy!

There was no doubt in Jess's mind that his family had all heard the news when two police cars had turned into the Burke's household the next afternoon, and nobody had said a word. Upon seeing the cars and having a horrific sense of déjà vu wash over him as he remembered the circumstances of the last time the police had arrived at Leslie's house, Jess started to grab his coat in a panic. His mother took it from him gently.

"She'll come over in the evening," she said. "I know she will. Better wait for her until then."

As the family sat down to eat later on, they saw the cars pulling away from the kitchen window. Nancy and Jack glanced at each other. Brenda fixed her eyes on her plate. Joyce Ann, the queen of endless chatter, was silent as the grave.

"So, erm . . . " Ellie coughed slightly. "When's that hearing again, Jess? The one for your forest or whatever?"

Jess was taking a bite of potatoes and he was glad to have something to do so he wouldn't have to answer her at first. When he finally swallowed, his family was looking at him curiously. "The twenty-first," he said clearly, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "In about a week and a half."

Ellie nodded and focused back on her plate. Brenda moved her peas around with her fork.

"Why the particular interest, Ellie?" Nancy asked gently and Jess's heart leapt. Ellie just shrugged.

"Just wondering," she said. "Can't I ask a simple question?"

"No . . . it's just . . . of course you can," Nancy said hurriedly.

May Belle looked up at Jess.

"Can I help?" she asked, her brown eyes sad and pleading. Jess half-smiled.

"Sure . . . I mean, we've got most of our facts straight and we've just got to start getting people on our side . . . but I'm sure me and L—" He paused, heart pounding. He couldn't say her name. Not now, not here. "Yeah, I'm sure that we could find something you could help us with," he fumbled for words. "We'd appreciate it."

Jack glanced at him sharply, but when Jess turned to him he quickly looked away.

"Well," Nancy said a little too brightly. "Brenda, honey, are you getting enough to eat?"

"Yes," was the dull reply.

"Drink all of that orange juice I gave you, okay, honey? It has lots of Vitamin C."

"I will." Brenda put a hand to her stomach and Jess realized, for the first time, that she really was starting to show. Her shirts that seemingly fit her well before were now stretched and tight, and she was beginning to make good use of the maternity clothes that had been given to her.

It was silent again. Nancy opened her mouth once to speak, then she shut it again with a sigh, staring down at her plate. Jess looked out the window, toward the Burke household, without really comprehending the fact that he was doing so. Seconds later he felt a little hand on top of his own. Jumping slightly, he turned to see Joyce Ann, who was sitting next to him, looking at him with big eyes.

"She the bravest girl in the world," the girl said earnestly. "And she's even braver because of you."

Jess gazed at her.

"She'll come and see us later," Joycie went on, her voice confident. "She always does."

Jess felt a lump rising in his throat. His family looked at him as he forced a smile to his lips and squeezed his sister's hand gratefully. And no more words were spoken as the seven of them sat and ate though they were not hungry, silent because there was nothing more to say.

OOO

Finally, finally Leslie let herself in through the kitchen door, just as the tip of the sun was meeting the horizon. May Belle and Joyce Ann—the latter of whom had only been told that a bad man had been horribly mean to Leslie—ran across the floor and threw their arms around her. Jess saw Leslie smile weakly. She didn't flinch so badly this time.

"Is he being punished?" May Belle demanded.

"Yeah, is that bad man being punished, Leslie?" Joyce Ann asked.

Ellie and Brenda both were staring at her, expressionless. Brenda's lips were tight.

"Yes," Leslie said simply. "He's being punished."

When Jack had shooed the rest of the girls away she sat down at the kitchen table with Jess close to her side. Nancy watched her carefully.

"Is there going to be a trial?" she asked, tentative, and Leslie nodded.

"On Valentine's Day," she said, and she chuckled a little. "Can you imagine?"

Jess took her hand under the table; she shot him a quick, grateful look before lacing her fingers through his.

"And this guy's behind bars or something as of now, correct?" Jack asked, frowning.

"I think so," Leslie said, and Jess admired the quiet strength in her voice. "The officer told my dad today that they went to his house this morning and took him to juvenile, whatever sort of jail that is. It was interesting – his dad got taken, too. When they came to arrest Tr—him—the police found a bunch of illegal drugs spilling out from under the couch cushions."

There was an awkward silence, during which Leslie kept her eyes on the table and the table only, then Nancy quietly broke it. "I'm so sorry, honey."

Leslie shrugged.

"Can we do anything?" Nancy asked, brow furrowed.

"You're doing enough," said Leslie. Her trembling voice made cracks in Jess's heart. "Just by listening."

Jess swallowed, trying to keep the lump in his throat from surfacing. He squeezed her hand more tightly. Jack cleared his throat.

"Listen, Leslie," he said, much more clearly than any of the conversation before, "If you ever need to talk . . . or, that is . . . anything at all . . . just come over if you need anything. We're always here to listen."

Leslie did nothing, her face perfectly blank, but her eyes filled with tears. Nancy seamlessly went over to her and wrapped her arms around her. Leslie didn't flinch, but she closed her eyes and rested her head on Mrs. Aarons's arms in silence. Jess was reminded of the time Leslie had done the same thing for her, all those months ago.

"Strongest of them all," whispered Nancy and Leslie's face crumbled as tears started running down her cheeks. Jack bit his lip and Jess, his throat swelling, stood up without thinking. His mother glanced up at him and stepped back slowly.

"Les," Jess murmured. At his voice she raised her eyes to his, blinking and wiping her cheeks with her fingers.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and Nancy and Jack both shook their heads in bewilderment.

"No, honey, you shouldn't be . . ."

"You have nothing to be . . ."

"I think I'm going to walk her home," Jess said with some difficulty, and his parents looked at him, then at each other.

"All right," Jack said quietly, and Leslie stood, shaking strands of her hair from her wet cheeks.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured, forcing a smile to her face and Nancy rested a hand, briefly, on her cheek before Jess put his arm around her and they walked outside. Jack carefully shut the door behind them.

Silently they walked over the dirt road and into the Burke's yard. PT, laying on the porch, started as they came into view and bolted upright, tail wagging and beginning to bark. Leslie chuckled and the sound warmed Jess through.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you," he said unexpectedly and Leslie turned to him with a familiar spark in her eyes.

"Me, too," she said conversationally. "You could stay tonight but . . ." She paused briefly, " . . . but our parents would freak."

Jess nodded in agreement, and there was a stillness between them that was heavier than what was normal when they were together. Leslie looked at PT wordlessly and Jess let his arm drop from where it lay around her shoulders. The wind, cold and gentle, floated through their hair and through the trees that stood around them but seemed to avoid Jess's cheeks that seemed somewhat warmer.

"I'll stop by tomorrow," he said, to fill the silence. "Maybe go over our statements for Terabithia's trial?"

"Okay," answered Leslie but she made no move to go inside the house. Jess looked at her in concern until she finally turned to him again.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again and before Jess could speak she went on hurriedly, "It's just . . . I'm not trying to . . . to worry you or anything. I want you to think I'm okay but . . . but I just seem to want you near me. All the time. Jess, I can't—" She put a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. "I just want you there," she went on, speaking a little more calmly. "I don't want to leave you . . . not now, or . . . tomorrow night or . . . or . . ."

"Les," Jess whispered, taking her hands in his, "the night won't last forever."

"It feels like it will," Leslie said, laughing shakily.

"I'll see you first thing in the morning," Jess spoke softly. "I'll come before breakfast."

"When I wake up?"

"I'll be the first thing you see."

Leslie smiled and her eyes closed. "Good."

"You're safe with or without me, Leslie." Jess let go of her briefly and took her in—the fire of her hair in the remaining sunlight, the nobility of her cheekbones, high and proud on her face, her green eyes that caught every emotion he had ever felt—and quietly added, "I love you."

Leslie's eyes filled again, and it wasn't tears that set them aglow. She hugged him tightly, and Jess laid his head briefly on her shoulder. "Oh, Jess," she whispered, "I love you, too."

Jess pressed his lips to her hair, wrapping his arms around her so that her head rested at his neck, where he knew she felt safest. Sure enough, he sensed whatever tension she was holding within her tired body vanish completely. "My queen," he murmured into her ear and Leslie reached up to kiss his cheek in gratitude.

PT barked. Both of them—still embraced—turned their heads to the terrier that was looking up at them defiantly. He barked again and Leslie chuckled.

"Dumb dog," she murmured.

"Leslie?" came a voice from inside. "Is that you, sweetheart?"

Jess let go of her reluctantly and Leslie turned to the door. "Yeah, I'm coming in!" she answered.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Jess said quietly and Leslie rushed into his arms again.

"Okay," she said, touching her lips with his briefly, "tomorrow. Can we go to Terabithia?"

"Of course we can."

She kissed him again, more softly this time, and Jess felt her smile on his lips. "Okay," she said again. "I'm leaving now."

"You do that."

Another kiss. "I'm serious."

"I'm sure you are."

"Leslie, honey, where are you? It's getting dark!"

"I'm coming! I'm just talking to Jess!" called Leslie again and Jess snorted. She brushed her lips against his again. "Shut up," she whispered, laughing quietly.

"Yes, your highness."

Leslie hugged him. "Okay. For real now."

"For real."

"Good night."

"Good night, Les."

She kissed him one last time before scooping up a yelping PT. She had barely walked away from him when the front door opened and Bill poked his head out, squinting.

"There you are! Leslie, what—oh, hey, Jess!"

"Hello," Jess said calmly as Leslie walked up the steps to her father. "Don't worry, sir, she's safe and sound."

"With you? She sure is," Bill responded and Jess, chest swelling, had to bit his lip to keep a grin off his face. Leslie looked at him silently, eyes shining, then turned to Bill with a smile on her face. Jess noticed that Bill did not put his arm around her or tap her shoulder like he would have normally done.

"Judy's got some grilled cheese in the kitchen if you're hungry, sweetheart," Bill said quietly.

"Okay," Leslie said brightly and she glanced at Jess once more—looking at him again with her overwhelming eyes—before turning and disappearing through the doorway. Bill, looking from Jess to Leslie and to Jess again, did not shut the door behind her. He and Jess stood there for a brief moment. Jess felt his heartbeat pick up slightly.

"It's pretty nice out for a January night, isn't it?" Bill mentioned and Jess nodded.

"Yeah, it is," he answered.

There was another somewhat awkward pause. Inside the house, PT barked a couple of times. Jess cleared his throat.

"Well," he said, smiling somewhat uneasily, "good night, Bill."

Bill nodded to him, eyeing him carefully. "Good night, Jess. You tell your folks hi for us, alright?"

"Yes, sir," Jess replied. Bill smiled and pulled the door shut as Jess turned to walk back to his house. The sun was almost gone now, and it was taking the brightness with it on its decent down the horizon, draining the light out of everything he could see. As he crossed the dirt road, Jess looked down to where the bulldozer had once stood. He paused, remembering the first time he had seen it, that night after Leslie had gone away last summer . . . .

It's different now he thought to himself, and an odd, bittersweet feeling crept into mind. He shook his head and continued walking, lost in thought and not viewing his house clearly until he had almost reached the kitchen door. He mentally shook himself and approached the porch that was empty save for a figure resting on the steps.

Jess stopped dead in his tracks.

Brenda looked up at him, something close to a smile dancing across her expression, and suddenly with a start Jess realized that she—from her spot on the porch—could easily see Leslie's front door from across the dirt road, where Jess had dropped her off ten minutes before. His eyes met his sister's and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw the light of discovery deep within them.

He waited, for a moment, for her to burst into song; he waited for her to alert the entire house, the neighborhood, the world for that matter, and tell everyone that he and Leslie had been kissing. He waited for her to run back into the house and scream that Leslie really was his girlfriend, that she, Brenda, was right and everyone else had been wrong; he waited for her to taunt and tease and laugh and make fun of him until the sun rose once more.

Nothing came.

Brenda simply stared up at him, one hand propping herself up on the porch and one resting protectively over her stomach as though to block the January chill. Jess gazed at her in astonishment, walking forward slowly until he was standing in front of her. She made not a single movement.

He looked at her for what felt like ages, remaining in one place as the emptiness around them rose and rose so that it was all he could hear until, still waiting, he silently walked past her and through the back door. And when he turned to shut it, he hesitated and looked out again to see his sister, still motionless, still gazing up at the now-starlit sky, still wordless as though she had been the one waiting for him instead.

OOO

Utter bewilderment had set in by the next morning.

Jess didn't say a word about it to Leslie when he walked over to her house—as promised—early the next morning, nor did he ask Brenda about anything when he saw her when he came back right before lunchtime. His head was spinning. He hardly heard Ellie complaining that he was too quiet or his mother asking if he felt all right. All he could hear was the vast silence Brenda had emitted.

And now, he had another emotion to deal with.

After Jess had walked back from Leslie's the next morning, he walked up to his room for his sketchbook and found his backpack directly next to it. Instead of going through his sketches, as he had planned, he went through his backpack to find schoolwork, his history textbook, and notebooks thrown inside of it.

Without really registering what he was doing, feeling nothing except a horrible burst of energy that made his heart pound, he reached into his pocket for his keys and headed right to his truck.

School. School meant Coach, and Rachel and her idiot friends, and the madness of students stampeding through the hallways and the homework that drove him to insanity and English class where Trent would not stop staring—

Trent.

Jess clenched his fist around his keys as he walked.

He hadn't been aware of his anger at first. He didn't know what that tightness in his chest was, exactly, whenever he saw Judy or Bill unthinkingly reach for Leslie and she jumped; he didn't know what the rush of blood through his veins meant whenever he thought of the days when Leslie would stare silently into the unknown for an immeasurable period of time. And every time he thought of Trent's dark eyes, every time he let his mind imagine—a mental action he tried desperately to control—what exactly Trent had done to his queen in the chaos of the hallways at school . . .

He shoved the keys into the ignition.

He remembered the first time he had seen Trent and his friends walking down the hallways, how he had avoided them expertly and prided himself on keeping his distance. Now, he felt nothing but shame.

Kings didn't run.

"Jess!"

Startled, Jess looked out the truck window and rolled it down in irritation. May Belle—home sick with her annual winter cough—was running to him, kitchen door swinging behind her and bare feet scampering across the dirt.

"Jess! Jess! Where are you going?"

"Just up the road," answered Jess as easily as he could.

"But what's going on up the road?"

"Nothing, really . . . I'll be right back. I just have something to take care of."

"Can I come?" his sister pleaded, coughing slightly. "Can I help?"

"No!" Jess said, alarmed. "Well, no. Thanks, May Belle, but I'm fine."

"But I want to come! Mom won't let me do anything." May Belle sniffed and coughed again. "I can help you, can't I?"

"Look, I'm sorry, May Belle," Jess said with a heavy groan, "but you really have to let me do this on my own."

"But . . .!" Suddenly she froze. Jess looked at her somewhat confusedly as—with a sigh—May Belle took a step back from the truck. "Okay."

Brow furrowed, Jess looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"Okay," May Belle repeated, shrugging. Her eyes were downcast.

"You're not . . . begging me to give in?"

"No, I guess not."

Jess felt a smile spreading across his face. He opened the door and stepped out incredulously, pulling his sister into a bear hug. May Belle threw her arms around him, instantly looking more joyful.

"I'm going up to the school for a second," he told her in a low voice. "But don't tell anybody, okay? Especially Leslie."

"You want me to keep a secret from her?" May Belle looked both delighted and astonished.

"Oh, she'll find out soon enough. But I know she'll try and stop me if she knows now."

"Why?"

"She just will," Jess said quietly. "Promise you won't tell?"

"I won't say a word," replied May Belle solemnly. "But you'll tell me about it, won't you? When you get back?"

Jess chucked lightly. "Maybe."

Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling into the school he hadn't been to in what felt like months—but in reality was only a few days. It was four o'clock. School had been out for a while, but there were still kids hanging around the campus, smoking and hanging out on one of the fields or at their cars. And right by the auditorium walls stood what he was looking for—more than what he was looking for.

Jess shut his truck off and stepped outside, heart beating against his chest. Trent was leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face as one of his friends told the group some sort of story. There were four of them, simply standing and smoking, interrupting occasionally as their leader talked on.

The last thought that occurred to him before he threw his keys in the back of the truck was that logic must not have existed in that moment. Taking a deep breath and straightening his shoulders, Jess slowly, deliberately walked forward.

OOO

"I thought you were beyond fighting, Jess," Nancy said for the hundredth time when they were in the doctor's office two hours later.

Jess, an icepack in his throbbing temple, snorted and turned to his mother

"You do realize this is Trent we're talking about, right?" he asked.

"All I'm talking about at this moment is that I thought you could do better than throw punches. Even if you did do it for Leslie."

"I almost didn't do it for Leslie," Jess said honestly as he shifted into a sitting position. He had been lying down on the patients' table. "She'll probably be furious at me, anyway. She doesn't believe in fighting. Even if it was the asshole who molested her."

"So why did you start a fight with him?"

"Because he put Leslie through hell, that's why," Jess tried to explain. He was surprisingly calm and collected and was rather pleased to find his mother not as upset as he expected her to be when his principal gave her a call. "And no one puts my girlfriend through something like that unless they want their brains knocked out."

To his continued amazement Nancy chuckled. "What?" Jess asked. Then he realized with a start what he had called Leslie. He quickly tried to brush over it, saying, "You're not mad at me? I'm not punished?"

"Oh, no, you're grounded," his mother answered cheerfully. "Fighting is unacceptable no matter what, Jess, and you know that. But for some reason I happen to be proud of you. Your father is, too."

"You told him?" Jess said, heart sinking.

"Of course I told him. I called him the second I hung up with your principal and he laughed all the way through the conversation. And he should be here any minute, actually, I told him to stop by after work." She paused and smiled at his bemused expression. "I think the only person you'll have to deal with after this is your girlfriend."

Jess felt his face flush. "So . . . Brenda did tell you," he grumbled.

"Brenda?" Nancy asked, frowning slightly. "What would she have told us?"

"She didn't say anything about . . .?" Jess trailed off, confused.

"About what?" asked his mother patiently, grin back on her face. Jess sighed.

"Nothing." Jess paused. "About Leslie and I being . . . being . . . "

"More than friends?" Nancy asked quietly and he nodded. "No, Brenda didn't say anything to us. Why? Did she know?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

His mother chuckled. Jess looked at her.

"So you're not . . . freaking out on me."

"Of course not. I guess we all just sort of accepted that this day was going to come. We were just waiting until it did. Though I guessed that it wouldn't be until you both were in your junior year," she added thoughtfully. "Judy was wrong, too, though. She guessed it would be fourteen. But her bet was better than Bill's by far. He said it would be your second year of college."

"You've all been taking bets on when Leslie and I wouldn't be just friends anymore?" said Jess disbelievingly.

"Well, Jess, we all knew it would happen eventually and we just wondered when. How else were we going to pass the time?" Nancy laughed, shaking her head. "The way you kids are when you're together!" she added in a sigh, almost to herself. "God, Jess, you'll never know how wonderful a sight that was—is. I mean, the way you two were was just . . . breathtaking. Even when you were so young."

Jess sat in silence, trying to remain dignified despite this new knowledge and this sudden downpour of emotion from his mother. He hadn't known his and Leslie's friendship had affected his family so strongly.

The door opened. Jack entered the room, car keys in hand, and Jess gulped as he shut the door behind him.

"Well," his father stated, looking at the scrapes and bruises and bandages all over Jess's body. "Seems like you made a fool of yourself, son."

"Yeah, probably," Jess agreed. "But it was worth it," he added defensively.

For a moment Jack's lips twitched, then he turned to Nancy, who was blinking rapidly. "What?" he asked her as she started wiping underneath her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she said hurriedly. "It's just . . . I'm finding it so hard to be mad at him, aren't you, Jack? I mean, he did it for his girlfriend."

Jack turned back to Jess, who looked uneasily back into his eyes. "Girlfriend, huh?" he said conversationally. "Well, I guess we might be able to let this slide. A little bit, anyway."

"I was just telling him about our bet," Nancy explained, sniffing. "I lost."

"Yeah . . . you said it'd be junior year," said Jack, walking over to her and dropping an arm across her shoulders. "But man, Bill was way off."

"You have got to be kidding me," Jess muttered and his parents burst into laughter.

"Calm down, boy, you've got enough to be worried about," Jack told him lightly. "Including the fact that Leslie is beside herself and just about ready to physically harm any part of you that isn't already beaten to a pulp."

"She knows?"

"Hmm." Jack thought for a second. "Well, I stopped by the house before I came here, to drop off take out for the girls and some cold medicine for May Belle . . . and she was over looking for you and I happened to let slip exactly where you were and how you ended up here—"

Jess sighed, putting a hand to his aching forehead.

"And now she happens to be waiting outside in the visitor lounge."

"Now?!"

"Yep. She refused to let me back in the truck unless she was coming, too," Jack answered, chuckling. "She was frantic. Still is, I'm sure. Kept on telling me you were either the dumbest or the bravest person she's ever been insane enough to know."

Jess smiled. "She couldn't come in?"

"We decided it would be best if I came to assess the situation first," Jack responded. "And the doctors weren't so keen on letting so many people come in at once."

Nancy took a deep breath. "Well, there's no need for us to yell at him, then."

"Yep," Jack said with a snort. "His girlfriend will do that for us."

Jess said nothing. When neither of his parents spoke for a minute, looking at him expectantly, he sighed deeply. "Go ahead and say what you're thinking," he told them, focusing on brushing the remaining dirt off of his pant leg. "Just let it out."

"We're not saying anything," Nancy said innocently.

"Nope, nothing at all," Jack added, biting his lip to keep from smiling

Jess rolled his eyes. "It happened a month ago, all right? I kissed her in her kitchen. It was sort of taking place all along and we just . . . we hadn't realized it, I guess."

"Well, we sure did," Nancy said, patting Jess's hand.

"It just . . . it just happened," Jess tried to explain, "really."

"That's how it works, son," Jack said. "And trust us, we couldn't be any happier."

Jess snorted.

"Really," Nancy said, chuckling. "We are. But we can't follow our bet anymore."

"Oh, we'll make new ones," said Jack confidently. "Maybe one about what day our grandchild will be born. Or the month when Ellie decides to go back to college."

Jess found himself laughing. "With the way Brenda and Ellie been acting lately I think that might actually happen."

"You've noticed it, too, huh?"

"Yeah. They're . . . they don't whine as much. They're different."

"They are," Nancy said proudly. "I think they're coming around."

Someone knocked on the door.

"I think someone else is, too," Jack mentioned.

"Is he in there?" came an angry voice. "Because if he is the doctor said I have permission to carry out my own sort of treatment on the well-deserving."

Jack chuckled and walked over to the door.

"Come on in, sweetheart," he said as he pulled it open. "He's—"

Leslie charged through the threshold before he could finish, looking as though she couldn't decide to be anxious or enraged. She stopped short when she saw Jess, sea-green eyes taking in his wounds as she breathed, "Oh, my God."

Jack closed the door behind her and walked back to Nancy wordlessly. The room was silent for a moment or two. Jess, despite his entire body aching as though someone had just put it through a sharpener, felt calmness wash through him at the sight of her: beautiful, wild, and fearless as she faced him.

"You're an idiot," Leslie said finally, irritation laying within her features.

Jess smiled. "I am, aren't I?"

Leslie stood there a second longer, then she sighed deeply, her furious expression crumbling as she laughed, shaking her head. Jess, taken aback, held his arms out to her as she flew into them, hugging him tightly.

"Ow!" he said, wincing, and Leslie moved away from him instantly.

"Sorry," she breathed, sitting down next to him, "sorry—no . . .no, I'm not sorry. You deserve to be—no you don't. It's just . . . God, Jess—" and suddenly she looked helpless, "what were you thinking?"

"Um, I wasn't?"

"Clearly."

"Well, I would have been fine if all of his friends weren't with—"

"There were other people there?" Leslie shrieked, whipping around momentarily to look at Jack and Nancy. They nodded silently; Nancy's eyes were sparkling. "You took on all of them?! His entire freaking cult?!"

"Les—"

"I don't believe this! I leave you alone for two seconds and you go do something completely stupid—"

"Leslie."

"And now you're going to look like some sort of criminal for our trial—with that black eye you look like you could have just broken out of prison—"

"Leslie—"

"And after what you just pulled off I wouldn't be surprised if you were dragged away—"

"I got suspended," Jess butted in before she went off again and she froze. Wordlessly she turned to his parents.

"It's true," Nancy said. "And I told that principal that as long as that boy was still in school—"

"Wait," Leslie said, quiet now, "wasn't T—wasn't he taken to . . . I thought he got sent to that juvenile thing. Why is he still at school?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Jess said, suddenly curious.

"I talked to Bill this morning, Leslie . . ." said Jack somewhat hesitantly, "and we're not really sure here—I mean, we're just guessing that what had happened was his mother bailed him out so he could go back to school instead. Apparently if he gets his grades up or something—"

"Your trial will determine whether he stays in school or goes back to the juvenile prison," Nancy said softly. "His mother got wind of what had happened and . . . and insisted."

Leslie looked incredulous. "When was this decision reached?"

"We only heard about it this morning, sweetheart," Nancy said apologetically. "I'm sure your parents were waiting for a good time to tell you."

Leslie said nothing for a second, then she turned back to Jess. "And you were officially suspended?"

"Officially withdrawn," Jack corrected gently before Jess could speak. "Nancy told the principal he wasn't coming back. Is that right, honey?"

"Yes," Nancy said simply. "And even before today Judy and Bill were waiting to discuss the option with you, Leslie."

Jess and Leslie turned to each other, incredulous.

"And to add further confusion, it seems that I have—" Jack started but he was interrupted as the door opened and a man in a white coat entered the room.

"All right, all right, here . . . Jess Aarons?" he asked and Nancy got to her feet; Jack stepped forward.

"Yes, sir?" Jess asked from his table

"It seems like you're good to go . . . just remember to keep that wrist bound for four weeks and those cuts clean until they're all healed, all right? I've got some instructions for your parents, here . . . . Ma'am, if I could just get you to sign some forms—"

"Absolutely," Nancy said and Leslie got up as well.

"I'll keep her company," she whispered to Jess as Nancy followed the doctor out through the door. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I'll try."

She kissed his forehead gently, then followed Nancy through the entryway. Jack watched her go and when she had gone, he turned back to Jess.

"Well," hesaid and at the finality in his tone Jess started to drag himself to his feet. He could certainly walk better than he could an hour ago. As though he was sensing this, Jack asked jokingly, "Think you can make it to the door?"

"Of course," Jess said and Jack shook his head in amusement.

"Then let's go. Food's waiting at home."

As they slowly started to walk down the hallway, Jack added, "And help me think of another bet we old timers can get kicks out of. One I can predict as well as what age you two would officially start going out."

"Well, if you can predict so well, what age was your guess?" Jess demanded and his father chuckled again.

"Sixteen," he said smugly. "And I was right."

Well, we've come to the climax of the story. The next chapter will tell you Terabithia's fate. Stay tuned!

And please review – I live for reviews, guys! Thank you SO much if you have stayed with me for this long! Can you believe it's been almost two years since I started this story?!