Disclaimer: I do not own the Toy Story movies or characters.

Truth or Dare

By Jennifer Collins

One Friday, after Andy ran off the school bus, zoomed into the house and bounded up the stairs and into his room, he began throwing clothes and other things into an open suitcase. Jessie tried very hard to remain frozen as she nervously watched Andy pack. When he ran across the hall to his mom's room for a moment, she let out a breath. "What's going on?" She anxiously asked Woody.

"Andy's sleeping over a friend's house," Woody whispered back, just before Andy came back into the room.

He zipped up his suitcase and hopped up onto the bed. "Woody! Buzz! Guess what!" He shouted to his unmoving friends. "We're staying over at Bobby's house tonight!" He was grinning from ear to ear and both toys felt a sense of warmth spread through them as they realized they would both get to go this time.

"Andy!" Andy's mom called to him from the bottom of the staircase. "Bobby's mom is here to pick you up!"

Andy picked up Buzz and Woody and dragged his suitcase down the stairs.

As soon as he left the room, Jessie and Bullseye ran to the window. Bullseye bounced around excitedly but Jessie sat with her knees to her chest and watched sadly as Bobby's mom's car drove away.

"What's the matter, honey?" Jessie looked up to see Bo Peep hovering over her. "You won't miss him too much, will you?" Bo asked in her gentle voice.

Jessie blinked. "What if Andy forgets to bring them home?" She asked nervously.

Bo laughed. "Aw, that's not likely," She replied. "Those two are Andy's favorites," she reminded her.

"Besides," a shrill voice continued behind them. The two girls turned to find Mrs. Potato Head coming towards them. "If he does, they'll just find their way back."

Jessie laughed, knowing that was true. She'd seen the two pals do some pretty amazing things during the weeks she'd spent here, and she remembered how she'd gotten here in the first place. "I guess you're right," She said. "So what do we do now that there's no authority?" Her eyes brightened.

"We throw a party!" Mr. Potato Head said from the floor.

"A slumber party!" Mrs. Potato Head shouted suddenly. "Just us gals!"

"Well, what about the rest of us?" Mr. Potato Head said sourly.

Bo Peep spoke up. "Actually I think that's a great idea." She put her arm around Jessie. "That will give us a chance to get to know our new friend better." She winked.

"But what about the rest of us?" Hamm repeated.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something," Mrs. Potato Head brushed him off with her hand.

"Well fine, then we'll have a party of our own and you women are not invited," Mr. Potato Head huffed.

Mrs. Potato Head rolled her eyes and Jessie giggled. Hamm called for Bullseye and Bullseye eagerly hopped off the bed to join the critters on the floor.

"Just give me a minute to get some things together," Bo said. "If we're going to have a slumber party, we're going to do it right."

"Me too," Mrs. Potato Head said.

Jessie nodded, wrapping her arms around her knees and staring out the window again as she waited for her friends. She was getting excited about the slumber party. Emily had hosted these kinds of events frequently once she got to the proper age and Jessie had always watched longingly from under the bed. How nice it would be to take part in the action with friends of her own.

Jessie looked up as the two girls approached her. She moved to the center of the bed to join them.

"Look see, I brought my younger looking hair," Mrs. Potato Head said, pretending to fluff her plastic yellow curls.

"It's very purdy," Jessie said, smiling warmly. "So.. what do we do now?"

"Well we can brush each other's hair and give each other makeovers…. talk about boys. The usual slumber party stuff," Bo said.

Jessie nodded. Mrs. Potato Head picked up a pink crayon and began coloring on Bo's nails.

"Wait!" Jessie shouted, alarmed. "Won't Andy notice?"

The two women laughed. "It rubs right off, honey," Bo informed her, offering a demonstration. She moved toward Jessie with a red crayon, but Jessie yanked her hand away.

"I'm not really into all that girly girl stuff," she said.

"That's too bad," Mrs. Potato Head said with a grin. "Cause you're the only one with brushable hair!" She yanked the yellow ribbon bow out of Jessie's hair and Bo came up behind her with a Barbie brush.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Fine," she obliged, taking off her cowgirl hat.

"Well if you aren't into girly stuff," Bo started. "Then what do you like to do?"

Jessie thought for a moment. "I like to be adventurous," she said with a grin.

"Good!" Mrs. Potato Head shrieked. Then let's play a game!"

Jessie and Bo Peep exchanged a look. "What kind of a game?" Bo asked hesitantly.

"How about Truth or Dare?" Mrs. Potato said. "If you two are brave enough."

Jessie clapped her hands excitedly.

"What a great idea!" Bo exclaimed. "You're on!" She turned to Jessie. "Do you know how to play?"

"Emily used to play it a lot with her gal pals, but it's been awhile," she admitted. "Refresh my memory."

"Well, when somebody offers you truth or a dare, you pick whichever you're willing to do," Bo explained as she re-braided the cowgirl's hair.

"If it's a dare then you have to do whatever we come up with," Mrs. Potato Head warned.

"But if you pick truth, then you have to answer the question one hundred percent honestly," Bo Peep added mischievously.

"Okay," Jessie said with a gleam in her eyes. "But I'm warnin' ya, there's not that many things that I won't do."

"Great!" Mrs. Potato Head said. "Do you want to go first?"

"Sure," Jessie chirped. "Mrs. Potato… truth or dare?" She pronounced the words slowly for emphasis.

"Dare!" Mrs. Potato Head said.

Jessie thought for a moment. She looked down at the toys on the floor and grinned widely. "I dare ya to take your husband's mustache and hide it!"

"Gladly," Mrs. Potato Head said as she made her way down the bedspread. She ran up to her husband, pulled the mustache out of his face and ran across the floor. When she grabbed onto the bedspread, Bo and Jessie yanked from the top, pulling her up easily.

"You girls!" Mr. Potato Head shouted, shaking a fist at them.

Mrs. Potato Head shoved the mustache under Andy's pillow and Jessie and Bo whooped and cheered. "Okay, my turn next," Mrs. Potato Head said. "Jessie. Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Jessie yelled without hesitating.

"Hmmm…." Mrs. Potato Head deliberated for a moment before saying," I dare you to go down there and kiss Hamm right on the snout!"

Bo covered her mouth with her hand and laughed quietly.

Jessie stuck her tongue out at them. "Fine," she agreed. She jumped off the bed and walked over to the men.

"Do you girls mind?" Mr. Potato Head said, irritated. "We are trying to play a board game here."

"This'll only take a minute," she said sweetly, turning to Hamm. She placed both her hands on either side of his face and pressed her lips to his nose, kissing him loudly. The girls giggled and the guys on the floor all nearly fell over from laughing so hard as Hamm tried to wipe off his face with his tiny little pig feet.

Mrs. Potato Head clapped Jessie on the back when she returned to the bed. "That was great," she said, still laughing.

"Okay, it's my turn again," Jessie said. She turned to Bo. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Bo said timidly, not wanting to be the only chicken.

Jessie grinned wickedly. "I dare you to tell the sheriff that you lost your sheep on purpose the last time."

Bo looked horrified. "But he's not even here!" she protested.

"You can do it later," Mrs. Potato Head pointed out. "So long as you do it."

"And we'll make sure," Jessie added.

"Okay, it's my turn next," Bo said. "Jessie?"

Jessie frowned, knowing she was in for it either way. "Truth."

"Have you ever had feelings for Woody?"

Jessie's mouth dropped open in surprise. She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Maybe at first," she admitted quietly.

All three girls were silent. Jessie watched as Bo folded her arms across her chest. "But it was only for like a minute," Jessie amended. "He was so brave when he was trying to rescue me, but then when we came back here he was such a dork and besides…" Jessie trailed off, blushing.

Mrs. Potato Head and Bo looked at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence, but she just said, "It's my turn now. Bo, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Bo said.

"Okay. Have you ever had feelings for Buzz?" Jessie asked, a little defiantly.

Bo looked her in the eyes. "I'll admit I was sort of attracted to him when he first came here, but it never went further than that. I love Woody."

Mrs. Potato Head chuckled awkwardly. "See? Now you're even."

Bo smiled at Jessie so she would know that she wasn't mad. Jessie grinned back. "It's your turn, Bo."

Bo turned to Mrs. Potato Head. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Mrs. Potato Head answered warily.

"What's your biggest fear?"

"Well up til recently it was that I would never have kids," she said. Jessie and Bo Peep nodded solemnly. Mrs. Potato Head turned to Jessie. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Jessie said with a sigh. She figured the dare part of the game was over now.

"Same question."

Jessie was quiet for a moment before answering. "I'm afraid I'll get separated from my friends and wind up back in storage someday," she said in a low voice. She raised her eyes to Bo Peep. "Bo?"

Bo placed a comforting hand on Jessie's shoulder before she said, "Truth."

"Same question," Jessie whispered.

Bo sighed. "I'm afraid someday some gorgeous doll is going to steal my cowboy's heart away," she said sadly.

Jessie wrapped an arm around her. "That'll never happen," she said seriously.

Bo nodded. "You're probably right. But still…" She turned the game to Jessie. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Jessie said with a laugh. This game was getting intense.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Jessie's stomach did a somersault. Her eyes flickered to Andy's door, where a large Buzz Lightyear poster hung. "I'm not sure," she answered softly.

"Boring!" Mrs. Potato Head pretended to yawn. "Explain, please."

"What? I answered the question," She said defensively.

"How do you not know if you're in love?" Bo asked incredulously.

Jessie leaned back on Andy's beanbag Buzz pillow. "Well, if I've never been in love before, then how am I supposed to know when it happens?"

Bo and Mrs. Potato looked at each other and sighed wistfully. "You just know," Mrs. Potato Head replied.

Jessie was silent as she shrank deeper into the pillow. "Okay… then maybe," she said quietly.

"Wooohoooo!" Mrs. Potato Head shrieked.

"That'll make a certain space ranger we all know happy," Bo smiled.

Jessie shrugged her shoulders. "It's my turn again, Bo," she warned.

Bo thought for a moment. "Truth," she whispered.

"Hmmm… are you mad at me about before?" Jessie asked with a slight pout.

Bo laughed and hugged Jessie. "No," she said. "I just get a little insecure sometimes."

"We all do, dear," Mrs. Potato Head said.

Bo shook her head. "It'll be okay," she promised. Then she turned to Jessie with a mischevious sparkle in her eye. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh-oh," Jessie said, knowing that Bo would get her back. "Dare.. . no, wait! Truth," she said.

"Are you sure?"

Jessie folded her arms across her chest and met Bo's stare.

"Okay, Jessie. Tell us once and for all. Do you, or do you not… have a crush on our own Buzz Lightyear?"

Jessie paled. She raised her hand to her hair and began tugging nervously on her braid.

"Anything you say is just between us three," Mrs. Potato Head reminded her.

Jessie lowered her eyes. "Yes," she admitted in a small voice.

Mrs. Potato Head clapped loudly.

"We knew it!" Bo teased. "Don't you feel better now that you were honest?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Let's do something else," she suggested.

The other two women laughed. "How about a movie?" Bo Peep asked.

Jessie nodded. "That seems safe."

"Andy has that new pirate movie," Bo said, reaching up to the desk.

"Oh, that one actor is so cute!" Mrs. Potato Head gushed.

Bo popped in the movie and turned on the television set. She sat next to Jessie on the bed and smiled warmly. Jessie smiled back.

Suddenly, the other toys came up to the bed. Mr. Potato Head plopped down next to Mrs. Potato Head with the three space aliens in tow.

"This is just for girls!" Mrs. Potato Head protested loudly.

"But pirates are so cool!" Rex exclaimed, waving his little arms in excitement.

"What do you girl's think?" Bo asked.

"Oh, okay," Jessie said moving over. Hamm sat next to her and Slinky spread out in front of them. "I suppose it's only fair that I ask you to be my movie date tonight?" Jessie said with a grin.

Hamm made a face. He curled up next to Jessie and muttered, "Well okay, but you better not tell Buzz. I don't want him mad at me."

Jessie wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his back. The other toys laughed merrily as the movie started.