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Several days had passed since Bonnie and her family arrived back home. Unknowingly to The Anderson family, Bonnie's toys were still fresh with emotion from their trip. At first, it seemed like it would be a typical vacation. A chance for the toys to get out of the house with their little girl and go beyond the safety of the front yard. Little did they know what was to happen in the span of a few short days. It went by so fast and it was taking some time for some of them to process it all.
Buzz looked up from his spot on Bonnie's table. Taking care of Forky was getting a lot easier now. With Woody gone, Buzz adopted the role of caretaker to the little utensil. Woody had worked tirelessly to keep him safe. It was the least he could do. Thankfully, Forky was accepting of the fact that he was now a toy. He enjoyed being with Bonnie and making himself feel at home. It would have been even more enjoyable for everyone if Forky didn't insist on taking naps in Bonnie's trash can. That was really the only thing that Buzz had to watch out for. He didn't want Mom or Dad accidentally throwing him away. Luckily for Buzz, Forky was sound asleep in Bonnie's bed. Still, something wasn't sitting right with the toy. His internal alarms were going off.
Buzz did a quick scan around the room just to be sure that everything was as it should be. He looked around the room to find toys littered everywhere. If they weren't on Bonnie's bed, then they were on the floor or a high shelf. The majority of them were sound asleep, lost in their own subconscious in a world filled with pleasant dreams. That's when Buzz discovered what was making him feel so off. Jessie was absent from the room. He looked to Bonnie's bed to see that Forky was the only toy with her. He caught sight of Bullseye, who was sleeping on a shelf. No signs of her. There was no way she would be caught dead in a closet by herself so that only meant one thing. Buzz looked around the table he was lying on. Jessie wasn't there either. Okay, maybe it meant two things.
Any other toy would have brushed it off, thinking that the cowgirl went for a late night walk. However, Buzz knew Jessie better than most. She normally didn't venture out into the night without a word to someone beforehand. Not wanting to second guess himself, Buzz decided the best option was to leave the room and look for her. He couldn't help being a little apprehensive. If he was in his cartoon universe, then he would have sworn that Jessie shared some kind of bizarre alien power that connects them through mind, body, and soul. He didn't know how to explain it and using his 'inner voice' with Bonnie so close would have been reckless. All he knew was something about Jessie's disappearance wasn't normal.
The more he pondered about it, the more it drove him crazy as he left the room. He wandered around the one story home, combing every room and closet along the way to the front of the house. Just when he was thinking that maybe he missed a spot, Buzz heard a tiny sound coming from the kitchen. For a second he thought it was the family cat until he reminded himself that he had seen the cat sleeping by a closet on his way down the hall.
The toy made his way into the kitchen and looked up at the window. Nothing.
A soft, flickering white glow caught his eye and he turned to see in front of the computer was Jessie. Buzz was relieved. He finally found her! He was about to call out to her when he noticed Jessie was sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs, her head resting on top of her knees, and her face buried between them. She was trembling slightly.
Buzz felt his heart ache at the sight of her. He knew all too well what it meant when Jessie sat like that by herself. She was not in the best of moods. Seeing her like that only meant misery. Taking careful methods as to not startle her, Buzz climbed up the office chair and sat next to the doll. He opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by the most pitiful sound. Jessie was crying. It broke Buzz's heart to hear it. In the past, if he ever heard her cry it was very soft, yet this was different. She was crying in a way he never heard before. It was to the point where she could no longer control her breath and choked on the air she was desperately trying to inhale.
He was perplexed as to what had her so upset when the light coming from the computer dimmed just enough for Buzz to give it his attention. He saw what Jessie had pulled up on the computer. She found a website that had the TV show, Woody's Roundup on full display.
So that's what had her in such a state. Buzz was used to helping Jessie when she had panic attacks triggered by darkness or enclosed spaces. He presumed that he could handle something like this. He turned back to see Jessie still hadn't acknowledged that he was there. Maybe he could handle it.
He scooted a little closer and cautiously put his right arm around her. The sad cowgirl shivered and looked up to meet a very concerned space toy staring right back at her.
“Oh, s-sorry Partner. I didn't know y-you were there.” Jessie struggled to get her words out. She brought her hands up to wipe her nonexistent tears way. She sniffled and tried to take a deep breath only for a small cough to make it past her lips. She hated to admit that she felt a little embarrassed that someone saw her like this. The only exception being Bullseye, who thankfully couldn't talk.
“Shh, Jessie don't be sorry. Here.” Buzz adjusted his sitting position so Jessie could lean into him. He gently guided her closer to his rotund body and gave her arm a soft squeeze. Jessie didn't try to protest against such a gesture. Any other time and she would have pushed him away. She took pride in being able to take most challenges that came her way. Buzz learned quickly that the best thing to do with her was to keep his distance and let her handle it. No need to get her even more upset. This, however, was one of those occasions where she didn't mind having Buzz so close. After the whole Sunnyside fiasco, Buzz became increasingly more protective of her. Jessie grew to appreciate the extra care he gave her when she was at her most vulnerable.
The cowgirl rested her head on his shoulder. She continued to sit with him, adoring his presence as she started to calm down. She kept her eyes glued to the computer monitor. She would have turned the volume up if she wasn't afraid of Bonnie or her parents waking up to the noise. Alternatively, she opted for almost complete silence so at least she could see him. She saw the puppet version of Woody saving the town from bandits like always. The little animals cheered for his victory while the puppet versions of herself and the rest of the Roundup Gang gathered around. The episode ended with Puppet Woody tipping his hat at the camera.
It seemed like forever ago since Woody left. Deep down, Buzz didn't want his best friend to leave the family, nonetheless, he couldn't blame him. The chances of finding Bo out in the world were incredibly slim. It was a miracle in itself. Buzz took note on how happy Woody seemed when he was around Bo. Back at Bonnie's house, the cowboy was gradually getting more depressed with each passing day. Reuniting with Bo lit a fire under Woody. A fire that he hadn't seen in a long time. It was nice to see his old friend in better spirits.
“I miss him.” Jessie said sadly, unknowingly interrupting Buzz of his thoughts.
“I miss him too.” Buzz gave Jessie's arm another gentle squeeze. He looked down at the poor redhead whose eyes were still focused on the TV. He could see the sadness painted all over her face.
“Woody didn't abandon us, Jessie. He didn't abandon you.” Buzz told her, knowing that had to be what was invading her mind.
Jessie flinched and kept her eyes focused on the computer monitor. “Sure...”
“This is different.”
The cowgirl glared at the space ranger. “How could this possibly be any different?”
“You got to say goodbye.” Buzz stood his ground. He shocked himself. Very rarely did he go toe to toe with the spirited redhead. Surprisingly for the space toy, Jessie backed down before she got ahead of herself. Any other time and she would have torn his head off for making such a statement, on the other hand, she had to admit that he had a point. Woody could have easily left without a trace instead, he chose to say goodbye and leave Jessie with a worthy parting gift. She only wished that she had more time with the now retired Sheriff. She couldn't forget Bo either. It had been a little over nine years since the two last saw each other. She missed their talks and little gossip sessions about the other toys. Bo was one of a few toys that Jessie could confide in when her worries were eating at her. Heck, she even missed all the times Bo tried to give her a new hairstyle. She needed more time with both of them. She felt robbed.
“I guess.” She placed her head back on Buzz's shoulder and went silent. She continued to watch the episode.
Buzz glanced down and saw a slight shimmer from her newly acquired Sheriff Badge. Remembering how proud Woody looked when he gave it to her, Buzz tried to see if he could steer Jessie's mood away from her more darkened thoughts.
“You're finally a Sheriff. How does it feel?” Buzz questioned.
Jessie gave the badge a soft stroke with her fingers. Thinking back to the moment Woody pinned it on her chest.
“It was different when I knew I could give it back.” her voice cracked.
“Hey, enough of that.” Buzz moved Jessie off of him. He placed his hand under her chin and moved her head up to meet his eyes.
“Woody couldn't have chosen a better replacement.”
“Yeah, right.” Jessie scoffed and turned away. Her eyes focusing on the imperfections of the keyboard in front of her.
“I'm serious. You're clearly more than capable of keeping everyone in line when he's not around.” Buzz emphasized.
“You're actually more like him than you realize.” he chuckled. He was so glad to see that little remark made her smile.
“But I keep Potato Head in line better than Woody ever could.” she smirked.
“That's only because you threaten to feed his parts to the cat. Woody has more patience than you do.” Buzz playfully flicked the tip of Jessie's hat up.
Jessie giggled and looked back to the computer. The next episode of Woody's Roundup was almost at the halfway mark. She zoned out for a moment, watching the puppet version of herself yodel for her animal companions to help Woody find The Prospector, who had wandered off to an abandoned cave. She leaned back into Buzz's side, resting her head back on his shoulder. Pleased to see that her previous crying episode was now reduced to the occasional sniffle, Buzz snaked his right arm around her again. Placing his hand on Jessie's belt buckle, Buzz continued to sit peacefully with her. As the show went on, Jessie absentmindedly started to rub her fingers along the light bulb that was Buzz's laser. He watched as she kept fiddling with the little bulb. It got him thinking about an earlier part of his life. The ranger normally didn't like discussing it, perhaps for Jessie, he could mention it.
“Have I ever told you how Woody and I first met?”
Jessie darted her eyes up in his direction. “I don't think so.”
“Well, get ready for this one.” Buzz peered at the computer, then back at Jessie.
“I was a birthday present for Andy. When I landed- I mean, got put on the bed, Woody introduced himself and welcomed me as he does to all the new toys.”
Jessie nodded and smiled. She remembered when Woody gave her and Bullseye the grand tour of the house.
“I uh... Didn't realize that I was a toy.” Buzz coughed nervously. It almost slipped his mind that Jessie already experienced two modes that neither of them knew he had. Then there was Forky who was still learning how to be a toy. Jessie didn't give him much of a reaction so he continued.
“Umm, when Woody saw how much attention I was getting from everyone, including Andy he got very jealous.”
“Pfft, Woody got jealous?” Jessie giggled softly as her curiosity started to grow. She never took Woody for the jealous type.
“Oh yeah. He couldn't stand me.” Buzz laughed, thinking back to how he got on Woody's nerves. Feeling more relaxed, Buzz continued on with his story. Every now and then Jessie had a question, and Buzz answered. He was relieved that Jessie was being respectful about his past self.
“Then he used RC to push me out of the window.”
“He what?!” Jessie shrieked and covered her mouth quickly. She almost forgot that there were people sleeping in the house. The couple looked behind them and waited a few seconds before speaking again.
“He pushed you outta window?!” The cowgirl's green eyes getting a bit bigger.
“I found out later that it was an accident. He was actually hoping that I would fall behind the desk.”
“But still, out of the window! He could have really hurt you! He's gonna get it if I see him again.” Jessie grumbled.
Buzz gave her a small smile. He found it gratifying that Jessie wanted to stand up for him. “That won't be necessary. I fought him at a gas station. Revenge has been served with interest.”
“Good. Ya know I kicked the stuffing out of Woody too when we first met.” Jessie boasted.
“What did he do for you to beat him up?” Buzz was now the curious one.
“He tried to leave while Al was asleep. The TV went on, and he got put back in the case. He blamed me for turnin' the TV on. Then he called me a liar.”
Buzz blinked. “He called you a liar?”
“Uh-huh, he said, 'If the Boo-tah fits.'” Jessie mimicked the way he said the phrase. She rolled her eyes.
Buzz made a face, knowing it was never a good idea to provoke a very annoyed cowgirl. “Tssk, poor Woody.”
“'Poor Woody' my doggone butt! He deserved it!” Jessie playfully slapped his arm.
“It's funny how we have that in common.” the ranger mused.
“Hey, Woody started with us first. We just finished it.” Jessie joked. The couple looked up at the computer monitor once again. The theme song for Woody's Roundup had begun to play, indicating that a new episode was starting.
“So, what happened after the fight?” Jessie inquired, almost forgetting that Buzz had a story to finish. The space ranger continued on for a few more minutes. He hoped Sid's Room wasn't too disturbing of a story to tell. He was happy to see that Jessie was handling that portion of the story better than he thought she would.
“Then Sid's sister took me to her room to play. I was done at that point. I lost myself for a while there.”
“Is this where Mrs. Nesbit comes in?” Jessie questioned.
Buzz felt his phantom heart jump up to his throat. “What you knew? I mean umm... Who told you?” He was shocked. How did she know about one of his biggest secrets? He was hoping to ease her into it. He surely wasn't expecting this.
Jessie rubbed the back of her neck shamefully. “You kinda told me.”
“I did?” Buzz would have never uttered that name to anyone, especially Jessie of all toys.
The cowgirl looked at the space ranger nervously. “Sometimes you talk in your sleep.”
“I do?”
“One night I decided to talk to you and you let me know.”, Jessie bit her bottom lip.
“What did I say?” Buzz hoped he didn't make a fool of himself. He was also starting to question what else he could have said to Jessie in his sleep.
“That you're Mrs. Nesbit and Darjeeling tea was one of the best drinks this side of Tri-County.”
Buzz used his free hand to cover his face. “You have to understand that was a dark time.”
Jessie giggled softly. “It's ok. It was kinda funny, but Sid's sister should have given you a better name. At least Bonnie sticks to our actual names during playtime, huh?”
Buzz thanked his lucky stars that Jessie was the understanding type. Any other toy would have laughed at him for days after finding out about the dreaded Mrs. Nesbit.
“Thank my maker that Bonnie never did tea time with us. Woody would have died laughing, then everyone would know.”, Buzz was still a little embarrassed.
“Speaking of Woody, I wonder why he didn't tell me 'bout Mrs. Nesbit.” Jessie went back to messing with Buzz's light bulb.
“I told him that I would throw him in the garbage disposal if he did.”
“I would have helped ya.”, Jessie snorted. Buzz smiled at her. He continued his story and stopped himself when he remembered the conversation he and Woody had in Sid's room.
“What is it?” Jessie looked up at Buzz. She shifted a little closer to him.
“After everything, I was demoralized. He made me understand that being there for a child was a great responsibility. That I was there to help Andy grow up to be the man that he is today.”
“Woody has a funny way of doing that.” Jessie said. She briefly thought back, to when he convinced her to come to Andy's house.
“He really does just like he has a funny way of getting us out of trouble.”, Buzz finished up his story. He told Jessie about how they escaped Sid's house and how they quite literally flew to the car. He felt himself getting a little arrogant when telling her that part of the story. His heart swelled upon seeing her face light up when he brought up how they both landed in the box. Unharmed and very much ready to be back with Andy.
“That's unbelievable.” Jessie leaned into Buzz's shoulder again. It was starting to turn into her new favorite spot.
“Don't forget you two jumped out of a plane before takeoff.” Buzz gave her side a little poke.
Jessie sighed. “It really was Woody's finest hour. How many other toys can say that they jumped out of a plane?!”
“And onto a horse.” Buzz added with a wink.
The two sat in silence once more. Both toys watched as the current episode of Woody's Roundup came to a close. As Puppet Woody waved goodbye to the audience, Buzz got to thinking. If it weren't for Woody...
“Who knew Woody was such a matchmaker, huh?” the cowgirl unknowingly read his mind.
“I think he did it on purpose.” Buzz joked. Jessie tilted her head in confusion.
“Whaddya mean?”
“He loved to annoy me when it came to you. Then when certain events happened...” Buzz trailed off as he started rubbing Jessie's belt buckle.
He cleared his throat. “That is to say, when we got together, I thought he would stop. I was wrong. It only spurred him on.”
“Like that time he made himself the third wheel when we were watching the TV.” Jessie groaned.
“Or the time he invited himself to the garden with us.” Buzz looked a little forlorn.
“I'm actually going to miss him being the third wheel.”
“Maybe we can convince Dolly to do it. In Woody's honor.” Jessie said softly.
Buzz took what Jessie said into consideration. “Wouldn't want her doing it out of guilt. There has to be another toy more qualified for the job. Hmm, maybe Butterc-”
Jessie nearly jumped out of her own body. “No! No! He tried to get Dad sent to jail, remember?! I don't want to even think about what he'll try on us.”
“Bullseye and the peas?” Buzz asked, hoping the two toys were innocent enough.
“Much better.” the cowgirl turned in the ranger's arms. She lowered herself enough to where her head could rest on Buzz's chest. He was more than happy to move accordingly so the two would be comfortable.
The couple continued to watch a few more episodes of Woody's Roundup. Neither of them made a sound except for a chuckle here and there. After what seemed like an hour, the ragdoll and the action figure were nearing the end of the show's 3rd season.
“Ya reckon we will always be together?” Jessie asked with a hint of concern in her voice. She had to be honest with herself. Their little paradise could be destroyed at any time for any reason. Asking Buzz such a question was probably not going to get her the answer she wanted, but she needed to hear his answer. Assure her that everything will be okay, no matter what, even if he didn't mean it.
Buzz was quiet for a moment. He met her sorrowful, yet hopeful eyes. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell her that she had no need to worry about their future, however, that would be lying. He couldn't give her such a cliché answer for such a serious question. She wouldn't be satisfied anyhow.
“I don't know.” he said truthfully. He darted his eyes back to the monitor, not wanting to make eye contact with her.
Jessie focused her attention on her boots and let out a soft sigh. With her head still resting on his chest, Jessie curled into a little ball. In her heart, the cowgirl knew that her relationship with Buzz was strong. They had been through so much that it was hard to imagine anything driving them apart. The only plausible scenario that could possibly force them away from each other was that fateful day when Bonnie didn't need her toys anymore. That scared her as much as the thought of being locked away in storage.
“Jessie, look I-I..” Buzz stammered. Buzz could feel her index finger tracing little circles on his chest plate. She must have hated that answer. Buzz always felt prepared for anything life threw at him. As long as it had nothing to do with his romantic life, that is. How was he supposed to comfort Jessie knowing that there was a very real chance that they could no longer be together? He hated being so practical sometimes.
Buzz thought back to how Woody listened to his 'inner voice' and went with Bo to start a new life. It truly was a miracle that the two found each other again. Most toys were nowhere near as lucky to reconnect with a long lost partner.
“Hmm...” Buzz pushed the red button on the right side of his chest.
“It's just you and me now, Cadet!” his voice box boomed.
Jessie almost bounced to the ceiling. “Buzz! Will you give that a break?! One of these days we're gonna get in so much trou-”
“That's it.” Buzz muttered to himself, ignoring the startled redhead.
“What?”
“Jessie, I have an idea.” he beamed at her. “Why didn't I think of this before? It's perfect!”
“Think of what? What's so perfect?” Jessie asked, confused.
“Sunnyside. We can relocate to Sunnyside!”
“Wha- right now? Are you crazy?” the cowgirl yelped.
“No, not now. When Bonnie's much older.” Buzz relaxed a bit. He had to get his cowgirl up to speed.
“There is a way for us to always be together. All we need to do is rendezvous at Sunnyside if we're ever separated. Do you understand?” he held her hands.
Jessie looked a bit perplexed. “Y-you would want to do that? Up and leave?”
“If it meant staying with you, yes.” he smiled softly when he felt her hand squeeze his.
Jessie let go of Buzz's hands and started playing with her braid. Her anxiety building. “But toys can break. What if Bonnie-”
“We don't have to worry about that. Bonnie has always been careful with us, and she has fixed Chuckles long before we got here.” Buzz pressed.
“What about everyone else? We can't leave Bullseye and the others like that.”
“They can come with us. I don't really see the guys agreeing on this when Bonnie's still so young. The two of us can work on the plan in private and we can let them know when the time is right. We'll all go to Sunnyside. Together.” Buzz grabbed Jessie's hands again and put them in her lap.
The cowgirl's mind and heart were racing at dangerous speeds. What Buzz just proposed made her feel so many emotions at once. Her heart beat rapidly at the thought of running away with someone that she loved. It made her feel like a young girl that was about to run off and elope with her lover. Something about it also felt wrong and right at the same time. Bonnie won't need them when she becomes an adult. They knew Sunnyside had an unlimited amount of children to play with them. More importantly, Sunnyside was a potential, permanent home for them under the leadership of two toys who were running the daycare like a well oiled machine.
The more Jessie thought about it the more she found herself consenting to it. If Woody was here, then he would most likely vote against such a decision, but the old Sheriff wasn't here. She looked back up to Buzz's eyes. She saw the hopeful nervousness that resided in them. The look that was so powerful she could cave into it almost every time. This must've been what Buzz felt every time she batted her eyes at him. This must've been karma at work on her little heart.
She took a breath. “Ok- I'll do it.”
“Really? You will?” Buzz had to hear her confirm it again.
“Yes! Only when Bonnie doesn't need us anymore, and we're not leaving anyone behind unless they want to stay.” she made sure to drive her point home.
Buzz pulled Jessie in for a hug. Jessie accidentally pushed Buzz's red button when he tightened his grip around her.
- To Infinity And Beyond! - his voice box roared.
Jessie giggled and buried her face in his shoulder. “How does it always know the right thing to say?”
Buzz chuckled alongside her. “It's called 'inner voice' for a reason.”