Written especially for PoetLaurie :)


Lying on her chest on the bed, she heard gentle plodding behind her.

"Hey cowgirl."

At the familiar tone, Jessie let a smile break over her features. She didn't need to move. "Howdy Buzz."

"What are you doing all the way up here alone?"

"Oh, nothing." Jessie rolled over on her side, tucking her knees up to curl in a half foetus position, and looked up at the space toy towering over her. "Just thinkin'."

Buzz raised a brow and settled down near where her knees jutted out, crossing his legs. "Thinkin'?"

"Yup."

"I'll make you a deal." Buzz laid a hand softly on her left knee.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I hate to brag, but I've been doing a bit of thinkin' myself."

Jessie made a face. "Alert the authorities."

"Be nice." Buzz rolled his eyes and poked her side gently.

"So this deal?" Jessie squirmed away with a half giggle, a curious look on her face.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Well….I don't know. You know I'm all girly and emotional and stuff when I get carried away, right?"

"I had noticed."

Jessie sat up and smacked his arm. "Now who's not being nice?"

"Ow." Buzz chuckled and held up his hands. "Okay, truce."

"Promise you won't laugh or make any comments?"

"Promise," Buzz made an 'x' sign over the left side of his chest, being careful not to hit the button that activated his wings.

"Okay." Jessie curled her knees into her chest as she sat there next to him. "You know that day that Woody rescued Wheezy?"

"Yeah?" Buzz tilted his head.

"Well…see, Woody told me, a long time ago, about rescuing Wheezy, and that was how he happened to be there on the yard sale table."

"Uh huh."

"Well, what if Woody's arm had never got ripped?" Jessie asked, her eyes wide. "What if he never had been shelved?" She paused for a moment. "If he had never fallen off Buster?"

"But Woody's fine." Buzz consoled her. Jessie shook her head.

"I'm not worried about Woody. Heck, I'm not worried about anything. I'm saying…if Al had never found Woody at that yard sale, he never would have wound up in Al's apartment, and I never would have met him."

"Oh..." Buzz's voice was soft.

"Its funny how things work out, isn't it? If Emily had never abandoned me, I wouldn't have been there either. And if Woody never got to that yard sale, and I had never been put in that box….Woody would never have been able to bring me back to Andy's room."

"True…" Buzz admitted, as Jessie's hand covered his on her knee.

"And you know, if I never went back to Andy's room…" She raised her eyes to him. "I never would have met you."

"O….oh. R…r…right." Buzz swallowed. Jessie giggled.

"That's what I was thinking about, Buzzie."

"A….ah…o...okay."

"Your turn." Jessie returned.

"Oh…well…I er…" Buzz was all aquiver with nerves. "I was…you know…t…thinking."

"Yep."

"And well…I…er…well you know the Potatoheads?"

"Sure."

"Well I was thinking, they're like, part of a set."

"Yep." Jessie wondered where this was going.

"And Barbie and Ken. They're part of a set."

"Right…"

"Well….you and me…we're not."

Jessie bit her lip and smiled. "We're the furthest apart from a set you could get. My other half is probably Woody, if he wasn't so dumb sometimes."

Buzz smiled a little, then realised he was going to have to continue. "Well…." Oh boy, this was tough.

"Well you know when humans aren't like…part of a set?"

"Uhm…you mean like…Bonnie's parents?" Jessie guessed.

"Yeah. They had to get…mar-harried I think the term is." Buzz enunciated. "You know how Bonnie's mom wears that gold thing on her left hand? I think that's like her mar-harriage ring." Buzz explained.

"Oh that's what that is." Jessie nodded. "So?"

"So….I was wondering if you wanted to do that?"

Jessie blinked. "You want to…?"

"I wondered if you wanted to make it official." Buzz blushed.

"Oh!" Jessie's eyes became as big as saucers, then she subsided. "Do we need to?"

"You don't want…?" Buzz could feel his heartbeat pounding out of his plastic chest.

"Its not that I don't….I just….does it actually mean anything for toys?" Jessie asked.

Buzz thought for a moment. "I guess not. I just wanted everyone to know you're my gal."

"Aw." Jessie smiled. "But you know I'm your gal."

"Yeah?" Buzz's blush increased.

"Yeah. You know you're mine and I know I'm yours." Jessie said simply. There was a moment's silence, then she patted Buzz's arm.

"Hey. How about we do that thing we saw in that movie with Bonnie that one time, where the man and woman were like, saying…vow things?"

"You mean, do the vow things without the ceremony?" Buzz considered this for a moment – because that's all he got before Jessie piped up again.

"Why not? Just between the two of us. We don't need a load of other toys to watch us." Jessie said excitedly. "I'll go first! Give you a chance to think!"

"Uh….okay.." Buzz said nervously, and Jessie raised her eyes heavenward, thinking.

"Okay…lessee. I…..Jessie Pride….take you….Buzz Lightyear…" Jessie stopped. "Is that right?"

"Sounds fine," Buzz shrugged.

"Okay! Ummmm.." Jessie thought for a little while longer. "Okay so…." She bit her bottom lip. "How do humans do this? This is so hard to think up on the spot."

"How about you say what you want me to accept about you?" Buzz suggested.

"Okay…that could work.." Jessie thought a few moments more, then nodded. "Okay…..right, do you, Buzz Lightyear, take me to be your lawfully wedded one, even when I go a bit crazy, and get carried away, and have word spew, and go do stuff without thinkin'?"

Buzz laughed. "My crazy cowgirl. Yes, I will."

"Great!" Jessie grinned widely. She sat back. "Your turn again!"

"Oh. So it is…..uh." Buzz looked panicked. "Okay…erm, will you…"

He was cut off by Jessie's excited squeal. "Omigosh we're really doing this, Buzzie!" She grabbed onto his arm and stared up at him with big eyes.

"I know. Um…" Buzz smiled at her excitement, taking in her pretty face, then thought for a moment. "Will, you, Jessie Pride, take me, Buzz Lightyear?" Even when I….I….uhm, stumble over my words? And when I can't help thinking how beautiful you are that my wings pop out of their own accord?"

"I will!" Jessie squealed, giving him a hug. She pulled away. "Uh. Is that it?"

"Well. We are missing out one little part as I recall." Buzz took her hand.

"What's that?"

"I think it's customary for the bride and groom, such as we are, to seal the vow thing with a kiss," Buzz pointed out.

"Oh, right, silly me. See, getting so carried away I forget the most important part." Jessie smiled softly, leaning into him.

"Mmm.." Buzz murmured as her lips came close to his, only for her to pull back again with a start. His eyes shot open. "Jess?!"

"Buzz…." Her stare was panicked. "Do I….have to do what all other mar-harried women do and….take your name?"

Buzz looked at her strangely. "I don't know that you have to do that. I mean, I like your name. I don't think Buzz is a very fitting name for a girl."

Jessie stared at him and then started to laugh. "Buzz! No!"

Buzz was thoroughly confused. "But….you said…"

"I meant your last name, silly spaceman." Jessie guffawed.

"Oh! Uh…yeah…I knew that.." Buzz tried to cover up his mistake. "It depends. Yeah…uh…well….do you want to?"

"Well, I thought that….since I heard it on the television the other day….they said that older, successful women don't change their surnames just to please the man. Because they're…..you know, independent and stuff." Jessie babbled, her fingers curling around Buzz's shoulders.

"Well, like I said, you don't have to. At the end of the day…you're still Jessie." Buzz kept his arms around her middle, and she breathed out heavily.

"Thank goodness. Not that I don't like the name Lightyear…" she was quick to establish. Buzz grinned.

"I know that. Besides, it would take an awful lot of explaining to Woody…" Buzz commented, then paused. "So…if my little bewitching one has no further questions?"

Jessie shook her head and leaned back into him. "Not a merry bit," her lips pressing to his to seal their words.