AN: I am absolutely in love with Toy Story 3. It was funny, adventurous, romantic, beautiful and sad. I really connected with the entire story and it makes me feel better about the many soft toys sitting in my room. The first two fights I remember in my life were over a friend who smothered pink zinc on my dinosaur and who threw my horse into the water (it neighed when you bent the head).
Anyways, as this is based on Toy Story 3, it will have many spoilers in it. SPOILERS AHEAD (just in case you need reminding)!
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"…And the greatest Sheriff in the world saves the day again!"
Bonnie jumped up and down, Woody grasped in her small hand tightly. A smile was fixed blankly on Woody's face as he was twirled around the room, his hat wobbling dangerously on his perfectly groomed head.
Sitting down on the ground with a load thud, Bonnie placed Woody into a sitting position, tugging his plastic hat onto his head firmly. Buzz was lying on his side, his energetic grin genuinely lining his face.
"You're mine now," said Bonnie as she pulled out a permanent marker. Her small hands ripped the black cap off the body and she mumbled a small noise as she accidentally streaked her hand with the pen. Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up Buzz by his torso, squinting as she wrote her name on the bottom of his plastic shoe.
Setting Buzz down, she picked up Woody by the leg, his body dangling limply as she did so. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she scribbled her name onto Woody's shoe, mirroring the barely legible name on his other foot. She looked at Woody's for a moment, her eyebrows drawn into an expression of intense thought as she considered the other name. It was faint and scrawled in a child's writing but the words were still visible.
"Mum!"
The sound of her high pitch shriek echoed in the room and a few loud footsteps later, a middle age woman appeared in the doorway, "What's wrong?"
"Mum! My toy has someone else's name on it!"
The woman smiled as she knelt down to Bonnie's level, "That's because he used to belong to someone else."
"But he's mine now," the girl pouted as she spoke.
"You know Andy, he was the nice boy who dropped off your toys? These used to be his."
"How will people know that he's mine if Andy's name is on him?"
"Well…" The woman paused for a moment before standing up, "How about later, I help you scrub his name off?"
"Okay! Can I have something to eat yet?"
"Only if you wash your hands first."
A brilliant smile lit up the girls face as she thought of her afternoon snacks. She dropped Woody in her excitement, jumping up and running out of the room loudly. Her footsteps could be heard in the hallway, the bathroom door slamming at the other end of the house and the sound of running water filtering through the thick wood. The woman sighed as she looked around at the dirty room before she also walked out and in the opposite direction to Bonnie, presumably to the kitchen. The toys hadn't been around long enough to the see the kitchen, they were waiting until no one was home.
The toys began to stir.
"Wowee! Bonnie just marked you!" Jessie sprung up from her limp position on the ground, running over to Buzz as she jumped on top of him. Buzz laughed at her enthusiasm as he rolled over to look at the freshly, scribbled black marker on his plastic foot. He didn't want to stand on it yet as he was afraid that if he did, the black ink would rub off before it dried.
Jessie spoke again as she peered at the scribble, Bullseye peering at the name curiously behind her, "I can't believe she marked you so soon! What's it like?"
Buzz looked at his foot happily, his chest puffed out in a gesture of pride, "It's a bit strange but I was ready for it. What about you, Woody?"
"Oh," Woody looked up from his own foot, his expression morphing quickly into a small smile, "It's great. Strange, like you said."
Jessie frowned as she looked at Woody, "Are you sure you're alright, Sheriff?"
"I'm fine. I forgot how tiring a bit of playing could be."
"I know, isn't it great?" Said the cowgirl enthusiastically. She waited for Woody's smile for a moment, frowning as it didn't appear as brilliantly as hers had. Her attention was suddenly diverted by Slinky, who was hanging from a ledge on the wall. The gruff speaking slinky dog extended his body desperately, trying to reach the ground with his two front paws.
He pawed at the air desperately, "A little help?"
"Oh no, Slinkie fell again," she clenched her fists in determination and jumped into Bullseye's saddle, grabbing onto her hat and waving it as the toy horse reared on his hind legs, "Run like the wind, Bullseye!"
The two toys galloped off to the other side of the room, Jessie's trademark yell paving the way. Buzz gazed at her retreating form (which was hopping from ledge to ledge), before he shook his head at her antics and turned to Woody. He frowned at the cowboy.
Woody was staring at his foot, his face crestfallen and blank. Buzz knew that look; it was the same one that the toy used when he would create another plan to get Andy to hold him, or to smile at him… or even just to notice him. It was also the same look he used when he had tried to convince them of Andy's actions; that he wasn't going to throw them out. It seemed to be a look purely reserved for Andy, if the direction of his gaze was any indication.
"Are you alright?" Woody looked up sharply at the sound of his voice. Buzz folded his wings into him as he walked over the other toy. He had a strange smile on his face, sickeningly fake in its expression.
"Yeah…. Yes, I'm fine. Why?" The cowboy added with a suspicious look.
"You just looked a bit down."
"I'm fine."
"So…" he looked down at the Sheriff's foot, "what do you think of Bonnie's mark?"
"It's great. Everything worked out pretty well in the end."
"You're a good leader, Woody," Buzz looked at him earnestly as he spoke. Woody's fake smile melted off his face, replaced by a look of shock.
"Well thanks, I guess."
"We wouldn't have found Bonnie, if it hadn't of been for you,"
Woody, frowned as he spoke, "Now, Buzz, that doesn't mean that you aren't just as great of a leader."
"I made the decision a long time ago to let you lead."
"I thought we led together," said Woody dejectedly.
"We do... but it's different. We lead for different reasons," he hesitated, "I'm in it for the glory, the rush, the result… you're in it because it's the right thing to do… and it's always been for Andy."
Woody sighed, "Now, Buzz. We're Bonnie's toy's now."
"Yeah, we are... but you aren't." The cowboy looked down at the ground, "I don't think any of us are as attached to him as you are. Jessie doesn't understand what Bonnie's name on your shoe means."
Woody slumped onto the ground, heaving another great sigh as he slouched over. Buzz sat down next to him, his eyes fixated on the melancholy expression on his face. The Sheriff's eye's glanced up at the spaceman before flickering to the ground again. For Buzz, it was odd to see a toy that had always been so confident, suddenly seem so vulnerable.
"I'm an old toy, Buzz," he spoke quietly, "I woke up early; pretty well as soon as I got out of the packet. It was different back then, there wasn't any indoor heating or computers to play games on. When it was cold, it was cold and when it was dark, it was even colder. Andy… Andy was the first owner I ever had that really payed attention to me, he actually wanted to hold me," he laughed, "He used tuck me into the bed with him at night and it was so warm to sleep there. I've never been as happy as on those nights," he looked up, "No owner will ever replace him."
Buzz smiled at the honesty shining from Woody's eyes, "I hope no one ever does. Look Woody, even if Andy's name does get washed off, that doesn't mean that they've washed away his memory."
He only just caught the small mumble from the cowboy, "but it's the only part of Andy I have left."
"No it isn't. You have your memories."
Woody sighed, "I know and I feel so selfish saying this but... I wish Andy had never grown up."
Buzz held out a hand to the toy, hoisting him up by their clasped hands as he did so, "That's life, Woody. Children grow up and toys get passed on. I have a feeling though, that you'll see Andy again."
"I really hope so."
He smiled at the toy, admiring how his back immediately straightened as he adjusted his hat. Already, he had transformed from a regular toy into a genuine leader. He was proud to stand beside him.
As Buzz shook his head and turned to walk towards the Potato Heads, Woody's voice drifted to him, "Oh and Buzz," he turned to the Sheriff, "this conversation stays between us."
"Yes, sir."
Woody smiled as the pounding footsteps of Bonnie filled his ears.
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