A/N: I'm not sure how long this story is meant to go. I do have arcs and new characters I want to introduce, but I am looking to give this a definitive conclusion since too many of my stories are episodic slice of life stories.
Also, I deeply appreciate how well received this story is, but please don't continuously review demanding more chapters, I write and post when I can. And I'd rather take time making sure the chapter is good than rush to post something mediocre.
Chapter 3: Meetings
"I'll ask you this one more time. Who are you?" Duke Caboom asked, eyeing up the group of toys cautiously, ready to get hostile if necessary.
"Uhh, I'm Jessie, Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl, I guess. Me and my friends are just looking for a..." before she could continue, Duke cut her off, he had noticed something on her chest.
"Where did you get that?" He pointed to her chest. "That badge."
"My sheriff's badge? My friend gave it to me as a parting gift, his name was Woody." Jessie explained.
"Moxy Früvous!" Duke exclaimed. "Sheriff Woody? About 40 centimeters tall, cowboy doll, nose like a cow catcher?" He asked.
"Yes! Yes!" Jessie exclaimed. "Do you know him?"
"He's been running with us for thirteen years!" Duke nodded. "Ducky! Bunny! Fall back!" He turned, only to see Ducky and Bunny standing right beside him, Buzz up on Bunny's shoulders.
"Duke! It's Lightyear, remember him?" Ducky asked.
"Haha! I couldn't have thought of a better toy to bump into!" Duke grinned. "How you doing, Hadfield?" Before Buzz could reply, Jessie set a hand on Duke's shoulder and turned him around.
"You said you knew Woody, is he here?" Jessie asked hopefully.
"Yeah, where's Woody and Bo Peep?" Rex asked. Ducky, Bunny, and Duke exchanged glances before looking back to the gang.
"Taken." Duke answered. "Just this morning, a man found the two and just took them!"
"What!?" Rex jumped. "Where did he take them? What's he going to do?"
"We don't know, Jurassic Plastic." Ducky replied. "But we're coming up with a plan to get them back!"
"Hey, I've got an idea." Bunny stroked his chin with his paw. "Woody always told us that the lot of you were always getting into scrapes." He remarked. "That means y'all would have no problem laying a little rough to get him and Peep back."
"Define rough, Jack-Rabbit." Jessie arched her brow.
"Jessie, you don't want to know." Buzz assured her. "We're not doing what you two have in mind, because I know what it is. But we can all come up with a plan together to hatch a plan."
"I'm thinkin' a little Plush Rush meets Operation Pull Toy, with a whole lotta Plush Rush." Ducky said as they all retreated to the playhouse for the night.
"What's a Plush Rush?" Rex asked.
"You really don't want to know, Rex." Buzz assured him.
"I don't get it, Woody." Bo said to Woody as the two paced around Eddy's store. Neither of them had actually spoken in a while, they were simply hand in hand, enjoying each other's company. Woody turned his head a little and arched his eyebrow.
"What? Toss Across? It's Tic-Tac-Toe with bean bags. We can play if you want." Woody offered, motioning to the game that was just two feet away from them.
"Not that, Woody." Bo shoved him playfully, she knew he was kidding after all. "I just... I don't know, I find it odd. I mean, you talked, Woody. You've always been so amendment about not talking to humans. You've only ever done it once, and even then, I remember you were up all night for weeks afterwards."
"I know, Bo." Woody replied. "And... I can't say I feel great about doing it, but he seemed nice enough, besides, what was the point, Bo? He already knew. Not a lot of point in pretending if he already knew. I'd never in a million years go doing it to someone who didn't already know." He reasoned as he walked down the hall.
"Again, anyway." Bo chuckled. "It'll be nice not having to re apply the tape on my arms anymore, and look, that chip on my neck was filled in, you can't even tell there was ever a chip!" She remarked. "Your stitching on your back looks a lot better." She stated.
"Thanks, my vest can come off again, so that's nice." He nodded. "Eddy's even been looking online for the right replacement piece for my voice box. Gabby Gabby only needed the one piece after all. I'll need a new loop and string though."
"I hope he can fix your voice box, Woody." Bo admitted. "It'd be nice to hear some of those old sayings again." She mock tugged at a mimed pull string on her back. "Yer my fav'rite deputy!" She mimicked, prancing about like a TV cowboy.
"Oh, you're funny." Woody crossed his arms, letting out a little laugh to show he did find her imitation funny. "Little weird having no name whatsoever on the bottom of my boot."
"I guess you're now officially a lost toy, only took you thirteen years." Bo smirked, nudging him a little. "C'mon, let's go sit in the window." She took his hand and rushed him to the front of the shop, the two dolls jumped up to the platform the sat just under the window. "Look at that, sheriff." She said quietly, looking up into the see the moon, it was full, and almost looked bigger than normal. The store had it's lights all shut off, but the moon seemed to light it up perfectly, basking the floors of the store in a soft blue glow.
"It's beautiful." Woody whispered, looking up at the moon. He looked over at Bo, the way she shined under the glow of the moon was a spectacle to behold, and even now after all these years, he looked at her the same way he had looked at her on nights like these all those years ago when it was her first year in Andy's room.
"You still looking at the moon, sheriff?" Bo asked, not breaking her gaze from the sky, but he knew Woody had his eyes on something else.
"I have my eyes fixed on something prettier." Woody said softly, losing his inhibitions that would usually keep him from flirting, especially since Giggle or the carnival push duo weren't around to torment him for it. Bo turned to him and gave him a little smile, even with her tough demeanor she had accrued, she still had a soft spot for whenever Woody would flirt.
"Oh yeah?" Bo asked. "Tell me about this... prettier thing you're looking at."
"Well, she's thirteen and a half inches tall, made from porcelain, has a beautifully sculpted head of blonde hair, and the prettiest pair of blue eyes I have ever seen, but that's just on the outside, on the inside, if you can imagine, she's even more beautiful." Woody said, looking deep into her eyes. "She's bold, brave, kind, and smart." He said. "Caring, loving, and one of the most noble toys I've ever met. All around, I dare say she's perfect."
"Good answer, sheriff." She smiled, pulling him in for a deep kiss under the glow of the moon. After they had separated from the kiss, Bo looked back to the sky, cuddling a little closer to the cowboy doll.
"I love you, Bo." Woody said softly.
"I love you too, Woody." Bo murmured, kissing his cheek. "Eddy said he'd be out looking for my sheep tomorrow, that will be nice."
"With any luck he'll find the others too." Woody remarked. "It'd be nice if we can stay together with this new change of plans."
"Mm." Bo nodded, sighing happily. "You remember that first night in Andy's room?" Bo asked.
"For me or for you? I remember both." Woody teased. "Yeah, I remember your first night in Andy's room, almost like it were yesterday..."
"Well, look who finally decided to stop crying and go to sleep." Mr. Potato Head griped in Woody's recollection of that evening. Molly had been crying and crying all evening, it was only after Andy's mom dug an old lamp out of the attic and turned it on that the soft, warm lighting calmed the crying baby down, or perhaps it was the pretty figurine that adorned the lamp. Either way, Molly was now fast asleep.
"Like it was that bad for you, you pulled your ears out the second she started!" Hamm exclaimed.
"Hey Woody," a small blue pair of binoculars with orange paddle like feet spoke up. "The figure on the lamp is alive." He informed him, Woody picked the wind up toy up and looked up to Molly's nightstand, sure enough, he could see her, glancing out the room, possibly looking for a way to get down without shattering to a thousand pieces. She was beautiful, that was the first thing Woody noticed, her fair porcelain skin reflecting the light of the lamp, he was awestruck.
"Well, I suppose someone aught to go and say hello." Woody deduced as he set Lenny down. "And, since I'm... I'm the leader of the room, I.. I had better be the one to do it." He stuttered before cleaning his throat and walking over to Andy's desk, which was the best vantage point to Molly's nightstand. He got to the edge of the desk, the lamp now only about a foot away. He cleared his throat, getting Bo's attention.
"Oh, well hello there sheriff." Bo said as she looked at him, immediately giving him that nickname on account of the golden star on his chest. "Care to help a delicate girl to the floor?" She asked.
"W... Wuh... Woody." Woody murmured. "Name.. My name is Woody."
"Hi there, Woody." Bo giggled softly at how flustered he was. "My name is Bo Peep, are you like this when every new toy comes into the room, or am I just special?"
"Aheh... special." Woody admitted. "Would... would you like some help down?" He asked.
"Well, that's what I asked, wasn't it?" Bo remarked with a little grin. "If you could help me down, I would be very thankful."
"You... you got it." He nodded, bounding from the desk to the nightstand. "Rocky, Snake, Robot, the pillow." He called, the three toys nodded and immediately went for the pillow that Andy had conveniently knocked off his bed as he slept, they positioned it on the floor of the nightstand.
"Wait... that's my way down?" Bo asked nervously. "I don't... I don't know if that's a good idea..."
"You'll be okay." Woody said softly. "I... promise." He assured her. Her eyes still had some fear in them, but somehow the look in his eyes was a comfort to her, almost as if his look alone was telling her: "everything is going to be okay." She nodded, clutching him like a vice and shutting her eyes tight. Carefully, Woody dropped down off the dresser and onto the pillow, and when Bo opened her eyes, she was safe on the floor.
"Thank you, sheriff." Bo smiled softly, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. That kiss caused Woody to practically freeze up, blushing like a fool as Bo introduced herself to the other toys in the room. Toys like Rex and Slinky Dog immediately took a liking to her, while Mr. Potato Head was surly in his introduction, but Slinky assured her he was like that with everyone.
"Look at you, I reckon a pretty dame like you is limited edition, can't be more than 5000 of you made." Hamm remarked, that being about the best he could muster for a flirtatious remark.
"Oh, well, I'm not sure." Bo said softly. "I'm... pretty sure I was mass produced. But, thank you, that's awfully kind of you to say."
"Shiny lady pretty." The big, brutish wrestler action figure, Rocky said. "Rocky Gibraltar." He pointed to himself.
"Well hello there Rocky, call me Bo." Bo nodded politely. And so on and so forth until she had met every toy presently in the room.
She walked back to Woody, who was still frozen up. Woody had been around for nearly forty years at this point, but this feeling that overcame him when he saw Bo was like no other feeling. That feeling only multiplied when she gave him that kiss. It was all so sudden. Woody assured himself he couldn't possibly be in love. He had only just met her. Love didn't work like that, right?
"So, Andy is the boy's name?" Bo asked. After about four seconds of silence, Woody nodded.
"Andy, and that's Molly." Woody pointed to the crib. "I guess you're Molly's toy, technically. But Andy's probably going to play with you when he sees you can come off the lamp." He explained as he gradually unfroze and started to move about. "Don't worry, he doesn't play rough. He takes good care of his toys."
"I'm sure you're the star of the show most play times." Bo remarked.
"What makes you say that?" Woody asked.
"Wild guess, Sheriff." Bo smirked a bit, then pointed to Andy's bedspread, toy chest, many cowboy drawings and posters, and the cowboy hat that hung off his bedpost. "Must be fun for you, he's in his cowboy phase."
"Phase?" Woody asked. "I think I'm pretty safe with my position."
"Whatever you say, Sheriff." Bo grinned a bit. "Care to show me around?"
"Of course." Woody nodded.
The tour had wrapped up pretty quickly, after all it wasn't that big of a room. Woody made sure to teach her the way of the land, let her know about the ticks and quirks of various toys, rules regarding exploring the house or TV watching, making sure to replace RC's batteries if she ever wanted to take him for a spin, everything she needed to know. Woody helped her back up to the nightstand, with Slinky's help. The two went their separate ways, Bo back to her lamp, Woody sat down on the windowsill, looking out at the sky.
"Something on your mind, Sheriff?" Woody heard behind him, he turned to see the porcelain doll behind him.
"No. No, nothing in... nothing in particular." Woody shook his head. "Just... looking up at the stars I guess." He said.
"Mind if I join you?" Bo asked.
"Well, it's a big windowsill." Woody reasoned. Before he knew it, Bo was sitting up on the windowsill, she wasn't taking advantage of the size of the windowsill, instead she sat beside him.
"Sorry. But I like some company." Bo said quietly.
"It's alright with me." Woody assured her. They were quiet for a little while, eventually Woody decided to break the silence. "First kid?" Woody asked.
"No." Bo answered. "I belonged to a friend of Molly's mom when she was a little girl, I was up in their attic until she took me out and gave me to mom as a baby shower gift not too long ago. She kept me up in the attic, I guess because this isn't going to be their house for long so she didn't want to set any more things up." Bo explained. "I'm glad mom decided to take me out though, I was lonely for so long. It's nice to have company again."
"I'm happy to be company." Woody nodded. "Many toys at your old home?" He asked.
"Ally never seemed to have a thing for toys. She had a few plush animals but even then they were all donated or yard saled by the time she was six. I stayed. She always seemed to like me." Bo explained. "And then I spent a decade or so in the attic and was taken out, dusted of... And before I knew it I was up in a different attic."
"Well, I'm sure your time in the attic, or any attic for that matter is up." Woody assured her.
"I sure hope so." Bo nodded. "So how about you? Andy your..."
"Second kid as well. I belonged to Andy's dad first." Woody replied. "Me, Potato Head, and Slinky actually." He explained. "It's a long story. I'll tell you sometime."
"Be sure that you do." Bo replied. "Call it jumping the gun, but I think I like you, Sheriff." She gave his nose a gentle poke before leaning on his shoulder. "Make sure to wake me up if I drift off, okay?" She whispered.
"Sure thing." Woody nodded.
"Bo... Bo." Woody murmured softly back in the present. During his reminiscing Bo had fallen asleep on his shoulder. She murmured as she awoke and quickly assessed her surroundings before smiling up at her sheriff.
"Mmn. I was having the nicest dream." Bo murmured. "But I'll take the real thing over a dream any day." She gave Woody a big kiss on the cheek. "And that was just how the dream began." She murmured in his ear, grinning. "What do you say you and I find a nice corner of the shop and get some rest?" She asked.
"Sounds like a plan, Bo." Woody nodded, standing up to his feet with a yawn and a stretch before walking off with Bo to find a place to lay their heads for the night.
"Ehhh, why am I the bait again?" Hamm asked the next morning, nervously sitting on the trail after Duke had given the group the warning that the man from the day before had returned as hoped.
"You drew the short straw, it's all very clear." Giggle reminded him. "Don't worry, if Woody and Bo are fine, you'll be fine too." Giggle assured him. "Now quiet!" The toys hid in the bush, and Hamm froze up where he sat on the trail, just in time for Eddy to notice him.
"Huh, peculiar place for a piggy bank. You lost, buddy?" Eddy picked up the pig. "Hmmm, minor scuffs on the body, paint on the cloves is chipping a bit. Tell you what, I'll get you patched up and take you right back here, you're too big for a kid to just drop and not notice." He took the pig and went back to his car. Buzz, Jessie, Duke, and the others could only hope Hamm would succeed in helping their friends.
Before long, Eddy was back in the shop and immediately took Hamm into his shop and back into the workshop in the back.
"Cork plug at that. You don't see those very often." Eddy murmured as he gathered the proper paints and glosses. "I've always preferred corks to the usual plastic stoppers. They're a bit of a rarity nowadays. You must be a pretty old piggy bank." He deduced.
"Gee this guy talks to himself a lot." Hamm thought. "It would seem a little less crazy if it didn't seem like he were talking to me. This guy's gotta be what? Mid 30s?"
"Lets see... huh. I must have left the glossy black upstairs. I'll he right back, Pork Rinds." Eddy said as he left the workshop and made his way to the upstairs.
"Pork Rinds? I have half a mind to..." Hamm grumbled, now free to talk and move. He looked around for any signs of Woody or Bo. "Woody? Peep? Hello?" He asked as he hopped down from the desk to the chair, then down to the floor.
Woody and Bo, meanwhile, had taken advantage of an old dollhouse in the back room that had a bed perfectly sized for them. The walls were thin, so the sound of change rattling around and Hamm's voice woke Woody and Bo.
"Could you tell them to keep it down?" Bo murmured tiredly. "I've had the best sleep in years on this bed and I don't want it to be over just yet." Woody yawned and got out of the bed and made his way to the window.
"Keep it down out here, two antiques are trying to sleep." He said groggily, Hamm looked right towards the dollhouse and sure enough, saw Woody peeking his head out.
"Woodster? Is that you?" Hamm asked. Between the familiar voice and nickname, Woody fell out of his sleepy haze almost immediately.
"Hamm!?" Woody exclaimed.