3:

Bo watched as Woody frantically began to jump for the knob. His legs were long but they just weren't long enough. With every leap, he made a futile grasp, his finger tips just missing the brass handle. "Almost...one more...I almost got it..."

Finally Bo put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him around to face her. She looked into his eyes. Poor Woody. Missing out on going with Andy must be eating him up inside. If only I hadn't been there. I'm the one he comes down to watch TV with everyday. "Woody, I'm sor..."

"I'm sorry."

Bo was taken aback. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "This is all my fault. I should have been more vigilant, but I fell asleep."

"We both fell asleep," she reminded him.

"But it was my responsibility," he said dourly. "I'm the man after all."

Bo wasn't sure whether to take this as an insult or find it cute, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. Woody was looking around the closet now. It was dark, save for the light under the door, and that would only last until sunset. A sunset that would come sooner rather than later thanks to winter.

"It's gonna get cold," he said. Suddenly he was at the back of the closet. It sounded like he was climbing on something.

"Woody?" she called to him. "What are you doing?"

"No, too scratchy," she heard him mutter. "No, not thick enough. Ick, way too smelly! Hmm...Perfect!" There was a tugging noise. "Ugh, it's stuck! Come on!" There was a whump as though something fell.

"Woody!" Bo's heart seized. I pray he's not hurt!

Something moved towards her. A bizarre misshapen lump. It seemed to be trailing a tail out from its side. For a moment Bo just stared at it. Woody poked his head out from behind.

"Here take this," he began to unfurl pieces of the lump and only then did Bo realize it was a coat. "The temperature will drop soon and I don't want you to freeze." Without waiting for a response he began to wrap the coat around her like a blanket.

Bo's heart, only moments ago stricken with panic at the thought of her Cowboy being injured, was feeling something entirely different. She was beginning to feel warm, all right, and she was sure it wasn't the coat-blanket.

"Woody..."

"Why don't you get some rest?" Gently, he lay her down on the floor, pulling the coat over her shoulders.

Bo liked Woody. She had always liked Woody from the moment that they'd met. And thanks to the Cowboy's complete inability to hide his true feelings, ever, she had known from the moment that they'd met that the feeling was mutual. But something between them had changed. It had started with a spontaneous dance at the end of December, when they had momentarily forgotten their inhibitions.

Then come January, with the unexpected tragedy of losing Andy's father, she had watched Woody stoically repress his own pain so he could be there for Andy's other toys. It had hurt her almost as much as the death itself to see him pushing away his own anguish, trying to be strong. It was only after the funerals were over that she was able to persuade him to release his grief and to collapse in her arms, crying for the boy he had once known.

She more than liked him. Bo had grown to love him.

Moving to the door, Woody sat down, his back toward her. Bo lifted her head. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll just keep watch until Andy and the family get home."

"That'll be several hours. You should get some rest too."

"Nah," he waved her off. "I'm fine."

Bo's crook lay off to the side of the coat and she poked an arm out to pick it up. She lashed it out at his neck, hooking him. He yelped in surprise.

As she dragged him to her side, he blinked. "What..."

"You. Lay down," she said firmly.

"Yes Ma'am," he quickly obeyed, settling on top of the coat. As he reclined his cotton body, Bo snuggled closer. She felt him hesitate...then an arm went around her shoulders.

I wonder if that book in my dream would have really told me all the secrets of Woody's heart. I guess I'll never know now.

She loved Woody...

No, she was in love with Woody.

You love me too, Cowboy, she thought closing her eyes. You just don't know it yet...