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casicroaks · 11 months ago

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At the insistence of his new friends, Woody finally opens up about his life previous to Andy. Meanwhile, as Bo discovers there was so much that was left unsaid between them, she resolves to follow his example -and tell him what she truly went through, between being taken to a new family and finding her own capacity for independence.

CHAPTER 6

[ CHAPTER 1 // CHAPTER 2 // CHAPTER 3 // CHAPTER 4 // CHAPTER 5 // CHAPTER 6 // CHAPTER 7 // CHAPTER 8 // CHAPTER 9 // CHAPTER 10 // CHAPTER 11 // CHAPTER 12 ]

"Please, please, please….! You said you could –it's Saturday…!"

"Alright, alright, bud. Who am I gonna be this time?"

…

It was a bright summer day in town, but everything was quiet. Even the Fire Department was closed. The infamous One-Eyed Bart was coming, and nobody wanted to be the one to cross his path –or to be the one he robbed blind.

"It's quiet…" said Robot, the local manager of the general store, peeking out of the window. "Too quiet…"

But then –a pink-haired child went into the street –following a bouncing ball. Robot gasped, terrified for the child but also too terrified to go for him.

"Go inside!" yelled another neighbor, Rocky, the local strongman. "Child, hide!"

The kid picked up the ball and just then heard the warnings; but it was too late. One-Eyed Bart had him in his sights.

"Well, if it isn't the banker's lass…" said Bart, pointing at him with his gun. "Where's your father, little one?"

The child couldn't answer –she was too scared to say a word. Bart grabbed her ball, bounced it a few times, and threw it high –and shot it, blowing it to smithereens. The poor girl gasped.

"I asked you a question, kid," said Bart. "You're comin' with me!"

One-Eyed Bart grabbed the little girl's arm and, pointing at her with the smoking gun, walked to the bank. Inside, Mr Hammond, the banker, gazed at his only child from the window, trembling with fear.

"'Ere I am, Hammond!" cried Bart. "And I brought someone with me!"

"Whatever you do, please, One-Eyed Bart, don't hurt her…" cried Hammond. "Take me instead –take all the money –but don't you hurt her!"

"Deal," said Bart, and kicked the door wide open. "Where's that money, piggy?"

Hammond showed him to the giant vault. There was the money of the whole town; it was the biggest loot Bart had even been close to taking.

"What's the code, Hammond?" Bart demanded. The banker could barely say a word –he stared into his frightened daughter's eyes. Bart pulled her arm and pushed the barrel closer to her head. "My patience is waning!"

"Alright, alright!" said Hammond. "Just promise you'll release my daughter!"

"We'll see about that…" said Bart. "Now… the code."

Hammond gulped. "It's… One… Eight… Four…"

"Yes…" said Bart, inserting the numbers. "What's the last one?"

"It's… It's…"

"Yes…?"

"It's…"

"Say it, Hammond!"

And then –from the kicked down door –a large dog sprang into action! He jumped towards One-Eyed Bart –and before he could react –he bit the gun off the criminal's hand.

"Aw, you darn mutt!"

The dog barked angrily, shielding the banker's daughter.

"So we meet again, One-Eyed Bart…"

Hammond and Bart turned to the door. There, backlight by the midday sun, there was a tall man in a cowboy hat. Hammond and the little girl sighed in relief.

"Sheriff Woody…" grumbled the criminal. "Yes, we meet again… For the last time!"

And then –out of a sudden –a dinosaur burst in! With a mighty roar, he faced the sheriff –who remained unfazed.

"Sending your dinosaur to do your dirty work?" said Woody, unimpressed. "That's low even for you, Bart…"

"It may be low –but it'll lead me to victory!" exclaimed Bart, picking up his gun and climbing on the dinosaur. "Let's go, Tyrannus! Oh, but we'll be back, Hammond –don't you doubt it…"

As One –Eyed Bart cackled wickedly, Tyrannus roared again –and soon was on the run, going surprisingly fast for someone so large, due to his strong big legs.

"Giddy up, boy!" called Woody. His dog went to him, and Woody climbed on his back –they left the bank, once Hammond and his child were reunited –and soon were in hot pursuit.

Woody chased One-Eyed Bart through the desert, over hills, chasms and mountains. The dinosaur soon got too tired to keep running, and tumbled onto the warm sand.

"Oh, you useless reptile!" cried Bart, kicking its leg. "I knew I should have gotten a stegosaurus…"

"You've got nowhere else to run, Bart," said Woody, jumping off his dog. "Now, we can make this easy—"

"You'll never catch me, sheriff!" yelled the criminal, pulling out his gun. "Say your last words!"

Woody narrowed his eyes, struggling to see under the scorching sun. He saw the glimmer of the gun –but he had no fear. "This town ain't big enough for the both of us."

"You're dang right, cowboy," laughed Bart. He aimed at Woody –and was about to shoot –when…

"Lunch's ready!" called Mom from downstairs.

Andy and Dad raised their sights from playtime –from Woody, held by Andy, and Mr Potato Head, lacking one eye, in Dad's hand.

"But –we're not done!" said Andy.

"Hey –dear!" cried Dad towards the door. "Think maybe we can get five minutes?"

"If you're not right here right now, I'm gonna eat all this pasta by myself!"

Dad turned to Andy and shrugged. "Diplomacy didn't work this time."

Andy huffed, but took off his red cowboy hat, left it along with Woody on the bed, and stood up.

"Later you'll have to put away all the toys," said Dad, trying not to step on anything. "This room of yours is looking quite messy…"

"Alright…" muttered Andy, and looked at his father. "Dad…?"

"Yeah, bud?"

Andy raised his arms at him. Dad sighed, but after a moment he smiled, turned around and kneeled. With a big smile, Andy climbed on the back of his father for a piggyback ride.

"You good back there, Andy?"

"Yep!"

"Alright—"

Dad stood up with some effort, holding Andy behind his back, and neighed.

"Giddy up, partner!" said Dad in a nasal mock voice. Andy laughed.

They left the room, as Dad clicked his tongue, imitating a horse's clopping.

A few seconds passed. When there were no more steps on the hall, Woody sat up on the bed.

"Coast is clear, everyone!"

The toys in Andy's room came back to life. Woody jumped down from the bed, straightening the hat on his head. Slinky got to his feet –he had been left almost under the bed. It was alright by him, though –after so many years in boxes and attics, he liked slipping under, in the dark, to rest for a while.

"Good job, Slink," he told his friend. "Sorry if I got too heavy when Andy was not holding me…"

"Ah, it was nothin', Woody."

"You looked positively ridiculous, Woody, riding a dog!" said Mr Potato Head with a chuckle. "Say, why didn't Andy give you the dinosaur to ride?"

Woody sighed, looking the other way. Mr Potato Head had been Andy's three-year-old birthday gift. For a while after that, he had been Andy's most played with toy, which definitely helped to inflate his ego. After some days the novelty had worn off, and things went back to normal. Since then Potato Head had been jealous of Woody –both of them knew it. Woody tried not to let it bother him –but Potato Head certainly tried his best to do so.

"Because he needed to compensate for your own lack of threatening features," grumbled Woody in response. Potato Head scoffed.

"Yeah, tell yourself that."

"I dunno, Woody," said Hamm, butting in the conversation. "I think Potato Head's plenty horrifying."

Potato Head let out a triumphant laugh, picking his hat from Hamm's head. Hamm was rather recent –he had been given to Andy basically as a way to teach him how to manage his money and to explain to him what saving was; but Andy liked Hamm and often gave him some kind of role in his playtime. Woody generally respected him; Hamm was a pretty smart fella despite being so new, and most of the time he had good insights. The piggybank had become good friends with Potato Head, however, and the cowboy feared he was a bad influence.

"Thanks, Hamm," said Potato Head, putting his bowler hat on.

"Did you think I looked threatening, Woody?" Rex asked as he followed him. "I mean, Dad did the roaring for me, but I think it was a good concept, a dinosaur sidekick…"

"Yeah, Rex, you were pretty threatening—"

"Really? Were you scared?"

Woody turned to face the nervous dinosaur, who was now fidgeting with his little hands. Rex was a last-Christmas present –he had been very awkward at first, since he was the only toy gifted then, and everyone already knew everyone else. As time went on he became more settled into the group, but he still felt a bit left out. Woody liked Rex, even if he was a bit clumsy; he was kind of funny, and he had never been mean to him.

"No –but you were scary," said Woody, and left it at that, walking away.

"But –how do you know?"

Woody stopped by the blue carpet to let the firetruck cross first –Rocky had gotten his arm stuck inside the basket again, trying to pick who knew what, and needed assistance –and then got to the toy box, painted like a wagon. He knocked on it, and the lid opened, and Bruce peeked out.

"Hey, cowboy!"

"Hey, Bruce," said Woody, looking up at him. "How's everything in there?"

"Ah, mostly fine…" said Bruce, turning back to see down inside. "Mike got his cord tangled again, but it's not too bad –we're on it."

"Good –tell all the guys to remember to come to the staff meeting, this is something that'll concern them. I'll tell the boys to help you all come down for it."

"Right-on, Woody!"

The lid was closed again –and next Woody went to the firefighter bunch, who were reassembling after managing to pull Rocky's arm off the basket.

"If you need to pick up something from the basket, don't stick your arm in the holes –just pull from it, take what you gotta take, and then push it back into place," said Keith to Rocky in a tired voice. "Got it?"

Rocky nodded. He gave Woody a short acknowledging nod, and Woody answered in kind. He sat on one of the nearby alphabet blocks, knowing the firefighters preferred not to have to look too high to talk to someone.

"Howdy, fellas."

"Hey, look who bothered to stop by!" said Keith. The firefighters all gave a small leap and greeted him.

"How's playtime going, Woody?" asked Tim.

"Fine –it's been some time since Dad last played with us," smiled Woody. Andy liked to play, alright, but when he convinced his father to play with him he liked it much better. "How're you all doing?"

"Bah, we can't complain."

"Hey, listen, the guys at the toy box are gonna need some extra help getting out of there in time for the meeting –could you give 'em a hand?"

The firefighters turned back at him and glared. Then Woody remembered, perhaps a bit too late –none of them had hands.

"I mean –in the figurative sense," Woody corrected himself. "Just –just help them, most of them don't have hands either. Okay?"

"Alright, Woody," said Keith.

"Alright, see you all at the meeting, guys."

Woody looked up at the clock on the wall above the bed. Lunch usually took an hour, if there was conversation or things to talk about –he wasn't really allowed back at the kitchen table anymore, though the reason was pretty reasonable –Andy could be a bit of a messy eater, and Woody wasn't particularly easy to clean –so maybe he could have some time to play checkers with Slinky…

"Steps on the stairs, everyone!" cried Hamm out of a sudden.

"It's on, it's on!"

So no time for checkers, then! Woody rushed back to the bed. All toys collapsed back in their spots. Andy rushed into the room and picked Woody up.

"C'mon Woody, or we'll miss it!"

He had forgotten all about it –it was time for Andy's favorite cartoon. It was alright, though –he'd surely make it back to the room in time for the meeting, if Andy would help Mom with the groceries like he had promised.

Andy ran downstairs, holding Woody up high, as if he was flying besides him. He jumped onto the couch and turned on the TV –just as the ads ended and the show began, with its rocking opening music.

Woody liked these new cartoons well enough –he understood Andy's particular excitement for this one –but while Andy could enjoy these superheroes' antics with no issue, Woody felt a bit lost since he didn't follow all the episodes like Andy did –didn't understood how some relationships between the characters seemed to pop out of nowhere –and rivalries were suddenly forgotten and forgiven. As Andy watched the new episode, however, Woody's mind drifted away –and noticed that, behind them, by the kitchen, Mom and Dad were whispering and talking hushedly, so clearly trying that Andy wouldn't hear them that Woody immediately suspected something was going on.

When the episode was over, Andy changed the channel, searching something else to watch. Steps came from behind the couch. Andy looked up at his parents as they walked into the living room. Mom sat on the sofa in front of him, while Dad leaned against the bookshelf. None looked too comfortable.

"… Are you watching something, bud?" asked Dad.

"No –the episode's done," said Andy.

"Good –because… Um…"

"Andy, dear, we… We want to tell you something."

Dad took the remote control and turned the TV off. Andy looked down at Woody, and then back at his parents, puzzled.

"Is it something bad?"

"What? Oh, no, no, no, no!"

"No, it's nothing bad, dear, it's actually…" said Mom, with a big smile.

Andy's parents exchanged an excited look. Dad smiled nervously. "Mom is…"

"Well… I'm pregnant. See this bump?" said Mom, putting her hand on her belly. "This is not that I'm getting fatter… Though I am, a bit. There's a baby in here…"

"You're going to have a sibling, Andy."

"What?" said Andy, confused. "When?"

"Seven months, more or less," said Mom. "Just a little after next year's Easter."

"Is the baby really there?" asked Andy, pointing at Mom's belly. She nodded. "How did the baby get in there? And how will they get out there?"

Mom and Dad appeared to be rather overwhelmed. Dad sat next to Andy on the couch.

"Alright, the baby… At first they were a little thing –like a little seed –made a bit by me, and a bit by Mom. It's inside Mom's uterus –not her belly, don't worry, she hasn't eaten the baby…"

Andy didn't seem to get the joke. He just stared at his father. Dad cleared his throat.

"My uterus is just above my bellybutton –here, see?" said Mom, gently patting a place on her belly. "Here the baby will stay for another seven months, until he's ready to come out."

"The baby will be very fragile, so we have to be very careful around them," said Dad seriously. "They won't be able to play at anything at first…"

"You know, how Jake has his baby brother?" said Mom. "Remember how small he is?"

"Yes –but –why?" asked Andy.

"Why?"

"Why are you having a baby?"

Mom and Dad exchanged a glance.

"Well… Dad and I thought that maybe it could be nice to have another child."

"But I'm already here," said Andy with a frown.

"Yes, and you'll always have an important place for us –you're our baby too, Andy…"

"I'm not a baby," he muttered. Mom laughed.

"I know, dear –but to me you are," she said, and kissed his forehead. Mom looked at Andy. Then, slowly, trying not to fall to the side, she kneeled in front of him. "Are you worried about the baby?"

"No," said Andy, turning his attention down to Woody. "I don't care."

"If you're worried, or angry, or upset… It's alright," said Dad.

"I'm not upset," said Andy.

Mom stroked Andy's hair. He just kept picking at Woody's hat.

"If you have any questions, or have something to tell us, bud…" said Dad with a little smile. "It's alright. You can ask us anything."

"Is that okay, dear?" asked Mom.

"Yeah…Okay."

"Okay," said Mom, standing up. She took a deep breath. "Now go wash your hands, we're going to the grocery store."

"Ugh… Do I have to go?"

"You promised it, Andy."

Andy sighed, and went up the stairs to leave Woody back on his bed.

He didn't sit up straightaway –the news of a new baby had hit Woody hard –and he covered his eyes, still laying on the sheets, taking a deep tired breath. Another kid… That wasn't really a problem as much as a liability. They'd manage, anyway. It wasn't his first time.

"Everything okay, Woody?" called Slinky from besides the bed.

"Yeah, it's okay. Time for the staff meeting, everyone," said Woody, climbing down, picking and quickly scribbling notes in his doodle pad. "Gather 'round."

The toys came to the meeting, small toys up front so everyone could see and hear Woody properly. He grabbed Mike's microphone and cleared his throat.

"First of all, I just wanted to say that was a really good playtime. Nice to see all of you here, and hope you had a good time."

"Yeah –I had a small role, but it was great!" said Rex.

"I think One-Eyed Bart is here to stay," said Mr Potato Head smugly. "Does anyone remember Andy ever having such a compelling villain?"

"Alright, diva…" said Hamm, raising his brows.

"You wish your character was so charismatic—"

"Now calm down, guys, everyone did a great job," said Woody. "Besides that, there's a couple matters we all need to be aware of. Silence, everyone!"

There was a long hushing, and finally every toy kept quiet. Woody sighed.

"Okay, let's begin. Tomorrow's rotation day, so stay alert and don't slack. Remember everyone, we need to rotate our positions in the toy box –otherwise, those at the bottom will stay at the bottom and not played with; all of us are gonna have the chance, but we have to ensure the other has a possibility," said Woody. "Alright?"

There was a general nodding.

"Sarge and his men will supervise the operation," said Woody, as Sarge, standing on a shelf above them, nodded an acknowledgement. "We'll go through it after Andy leaves for school. Let's try to do this as orderly and quickly as possible."

The toys looked at each other. There were no comments. Woody took a deep breath.

"Okay, and secondly… Well… There's also some big news," he said. "Mom and Dad just told Andy about it."

"What big news?" said Rex anxiously.

"There's…" Woody checked his doodle pad, to see exactly how he had planned to word it. "Mom is pregnant, so a baby's coming… Andy will have a sibling."

"What?"

"A baby!?"

"Another one?"

"Isn't one of 'em enough?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" called Woody. "Why're you all reacting like this? This is great news! There'll be another kid –we'll be played with for longer!"

"That's right," said Slinky. "Many of us are toys for small children; while Andy's grown up, we may still be played with the younger kid."

"Exactly –thanks, Slink," said Woody. "Besides –we're all gonna be Andy's toys first and foremost, but this will mean new toys; more to know, more to team up with…"

"How's that exactly a good thing?" asked Hamm.

"Yeah –what if an overabundance of toys leads to an early spring cleaning?" said Mr Potato Head. There was a concerned muttering over the crowd.

"There's room for everyone here, guys, come on…" said Woody, wondering why Potato Head always had to rock the boat. "When these new toys arrive, I want you all to be courteous to them. The last thing we need are hostilities."

"What if we're replaced?" asked Rex. "Like –what if the baby is given a nicer, bigger dinosaur, and then Andy and the baby think I'm no longer good to play with, and—?"

"Rex, that's not going to happen," said Woody. "Please, everyone, relax! This is big news, but there's no need to be alarmed. We need to keep an open mind. Perhaps this will be an opportunity to make new friends!"

Some toys hummed doubtfully, others exchanged nervous glances.

"It's gonna be alright," said Woody. "Anyways, the baby won't arrive until Easter, more or less, so we'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea."

The toys still seemed unsure, but Woody knew that after some time they'd forget about their reservations and have no problem accepting the baby. Most of them had been with Andy since he was a toddler –and had no issue with being played by him –and as long as nobody who could accidentally hurt the baby got in contact with them, there was nothing to worry about.

A few months passed. One weekend afternoon, while Andy was playing at a friend's house. Mom and Dad entered the room, bringing something in their arms. For a moment, Woody thought the thing was the baby –already? But Jenny was still pregnant, and the thing in her arms –it had the size and shape of a toy. For a moment, while Dad untangled a cord, Mom held the thing by its base and turned it to look at it better –and so, for a moment, he saw what it was.

It was a lamp, a rather voluminous one: the lampshade had a cute pattern of sheep leaping over a white picket fence. What was truly interesting about it though was that, standing on the green base of the lamp, there was a figurine –rather like a doll –of a shepherdess with blond hair, a pink bonnet, a pink polka-dotted dress, and a blue crook on her hand –and something that looked like three sheep squeezed together by her side.

Dad managed to plug the cord and, with that done, Mom put the lamp on top of the dresser next to the crib. They exchanged a few words. Dad turned it on –the lamp worked perfectly –but then Mom pushed a hidden button on the base of it, and several little lights were lit, like fireflies on a wide open field at night. It was a lovely thing to behold.

Mom turned the little lights off, and the lamp off too. Then they left the room. Dad then brought other things –the old teething rings, a rattle, a soft baby blanket with little yellow ducks stamped on it. Woody recalled all the things they had brought for Andy, when he was a baby.

When Mom and Dad finally left, and didn't seem to come back to leave anything else, Rex stood up with a gasp.

"What was that?"

"Did they bring any toys?" wondered Robot.

"Only baby stuff…" said Hamm.

"There was a lamp!"

"So? There's a lamp on Andy's nightstand too, if you wanna see it from up close."

"Ha, ha, ha—"

"There was someone on the lamp!"

"Two someones!"

"We don't know if it was really someone…"

"It looked like someone…"

"It was a shepherdess," said Woody. Every other toy turned to him. "I saw her from the bed –there's a shepherdess on the lamp, along with some sheep."

"A… a what?" asked Rex, a bit alarmed. "Is that a type of dinosaur? Maybe some other prehistoric animal?"

"No, you idiot, it's a female shepherd," said Hamm. "It's someone who looks after sheep, especially a flock of sheep that's grazing."

"Oh… Oh, I guess that makes sense."

"D'you reckon she's a toy, Woody?" asked Slinky.

"I... I guess so."

"So it's a new toy?" said Rex.

"A girl toy!" exclaimed Mr Potato Head.

"Is she the baby's?"

"Well, we don't know—" tried to say Woody, but no one was listening to him –everyone was talking to someone else, less listening and more wondering out loud.

"Did you see her?"

"What did she look like?"

"Like a doll, but very skinny…"

"Very shiny, like made of glass…"

"With a big puffy skirt."

"And a weird creature by her side, with twelve legs and six eyes."

"A monster!"

"Was she pretty?"

"If you're into that sort of thing…"

"She looked very languid, like if she was about to faint of boredom."

"Perhaps she's tired…"

"Tired of what? Of standing up?"

"Slinky, call an emergency staff meeting," instructed Woody, his patience running thin.

Slinky nodded and got to it. With a head gesture, Woody called Mike to come closer, and grabbed the microphone. In a matter of seconds, all the toys in Andy's room were assembled around Woody, cornering him with questions and assumptions.

"Who is it?"

"It's a lady!"

"It's a doll!"

"It's a porcelain figurine," said Hamm matter-of-factly. "Well –perhaps some sort of ceramic substitute, a much cheaper material—"

"Save it, Hamm," said Woody. "Now everyone, please, if you could just be quiet for a moment—"

"It's just a shepherdess, no big deal," groaned Mr Potato Head. "Rail-thin and sickly pale… And likely to get broken in no time."

"What?" asked Rex, fidgeting with his small short hands.

"Yeah! Mom bought it for the baby –who knows how long she'll last?" insisted Mr Potato Head. "I'll give her two weeks."

"Now come on, guys" said Woody. "Mom wouldn't buy the baby something they could break so easily—"

"It does look fragile though, Woody…" said Hamm.

"Well –in that case, let's be extra careful with her," said Woody. "By which I mean, first: no inappropriate comments. I don't want to hear a single whistle, alright? Second: the larger toys –I mean Rocky, Mr Spell, Etch, RC –and yes, you too, Rex –be aware of where all your parts are; you may accidentally push her or crack her with any sudden movements while near her. Porcelain behaves differently than plastic. Remember what I said last week?"

"Accidents can't happen, if one's aware enough," everyone mumbled in unison.

"Yes, great. And third: we do not know if she will be Andy's toy, or only part of the baby's lamp—"

"How do we know for sure?" asked Rex.

"… We can't, not yet," said Woody. "Anyway, whether she'll be with the baby or with Andy, we need to treat her as one of us. Or perhaps even better. So let's all be nice, courteous, polite, and not scare her away. Is that clear, everyone?"

Silence.

"… Well then. Meeting adjourned. Let's go."

So all the toys moved, from besides Andy's bed to the crib and the dresser next to it, in order to welcome the new toy. Woody piled the few blocks they had to make a makeshift stair, from which he could try to better see what was up there. Mike, who had followed him, handed him his microphone once more.

"Excuse me –Miss?" called Woody through the microphone. "Howdy, Miss. We'd like to welcome you to Andy's room."

Nothing. Not a peep.

"Miss… Miss Lamp Lady?" insisted Woody, unsure of what to call her. "Are you there?"

Still silence. People started to get impatient.

"This is ridiculous, Woody," Hamm whispered to him.

"I don't see you helping a whole lot here," Woody replied. "Do you reckon there's a way we can get up there, Hamm?"

"Hm, looks unlikely… Unless we managed to tie the jumping rope to the ceiling fan, someone climbed and swung from the bed to get to top of the dresser… But then there's the problem of how to climb down."

"Alright, Hamm, thanks for your advice," Woody then turned to the toy soldiers. "Hey Sarge…"

"Yes, Woody?"

"D'you think there's any way you could get up there, and maybe get someone down?"

Sarge looked up. "We could, sir, but bringing someone down there…"

"Yes, a porcelain figurine—"

"No, sir, that would be a suicide mission."

"… Alright –Lenny, come here, please."

Lenny went to Woody, who picked him up with some effort and looked through him, up to the dresser. Even with the advantage of binoculars he couldn't see anyone –only the edge of a lampshade, and a baby-blue question mark –her crook.

"Perhaps from the bed—"

"Perhaps she's not a toy, Woody…" said Rex quietly.

"Yeah, she's surely just a lamp decoration," said Hamm.

"Well –you were just a piggybank," said Woody with a shrug. "That doesn't mean you're not also a toy."

"If she's a toy, then why doesn't she answer?" claimed Mr Potato Head.

"Well…" said Woody, really not sure of what would be a satisfactory response. "She might… She may be…"

"I knew it, she's a snob," insisted Mr Potato Head. "Just 'cause she's frail…"

"She might as well just be shy, Potato Head," said Slinky. "Just give her a chance."

"How can we give her a chance if she won't give us one?"

"She might need to take her time," said Woody in an attempt to reassure everyone. "We'll try again later, guys."

Several huffed, disappointed. Others, who were never too interested in the whole welcoming party anyways, returned to their spot.

"What're you gonna do now, Woody?" asked Slinky.

But Woody was no longer by his side. He had climbed onto the bed, and then climbed the wooden headboard, and tried to get as high as he could. From up there he could see something –still, from a distance –the shepherdess remained still as a statue.

"… I guess it's not a toy after all," said Woody.

Good. Being so fragile, he thought, better to have someone less to keep an eye on.

Not very long after, the baby was born. Grandma Lillian came to care for Andy while his parents were at the hospital. Some days passed without any news –Andy still went and came from school, played with his toys, watched TV –but Woody, who often found himself anxious about the baby's arrival, could sense Andy's anxiety, too. He'd watch through the window, just as Woody used to do, waiting for the car that would bring the baby sister to his life. Andy didn't look particularly happy about it. Woody thought it made sense; a baby was a noisy, demanding thing: they weren't close witnesses to Andy and his parents' relationship, but it was to be expected that he'd feel jealous of a new baby getting all the attention, all the gifts, all the encouragements, all the affection… Woody knew that if he was Andy, though, he'd try his best to be a good brother to this newly-arrived baby; after all, the poor thing couldn't understand anything that was going on! So Woody at least hoped Andy wouldn't resent the little girl too much.

Mom and Dad brought the baby, whom they called Molly, on a Saturday afternoon. Andy ran down the stairs to see her; that would buy the toys some time to assemble themselves.

"Okay –preschool toys must be made available, so keep your places on the right side of the room –that's the right side from the door –from –the side of the crib's what I mean!" said Woody, as the toys went to one side then to another in confusion. "Now, the rest of us, any of us that have small parts that can be swallowed, remember to stay on this side –the side of Andy's bed. Stay on the shelves, under the bed, and inside the toy box –if we follow these rules, we have no reason to worry Molly's going to play with an age-inappropriate toy. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Great. Now let's get moving!"

Everyone got to their places. It was almost nighttime already, as the room had already become dark. Dad entered the room first, and turned on the nightstand lamp. Mom and Andy followed, with Molly asleep in Mom's arms. Everything was quiet, though Andy was clearly full of questions.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How long is Molly gonna stay in my room?"

"Don't worry, bud, it's only until we move," smiled Dad. "By then, she'll have a room of her own."

"But why can't you sleep with her?" Andy said bitterly. "I don't want her here…"

"There's no room in our bedroom for the crib—"

"Well, I don't want her here," he insisted. "Why do I have to stay with the ugly baby?"

Mom sighed, and sat on the bed. Molly had begun to groan and wail.

"Come 'ere, bud," said Dad, bringing his son closer to the crib. "Listen: don't blame your sister, alright? You were exactly like her when you were a baby, too."

"I know…"

"So, now that you have a little sister, you have to think about her too –not only about what you want."

"But…! It's just not fair…"

"I know, Andy. But I promise –it's just until we move," said Dad, quietly. "And perhaps while Molly's here, you two can play together! You can show her your old toys…"

"I don't want her drooling and puking on my things."

"I know, I know –but don't you think you could let her borrow a few of your toys? After all, think about all the ones you don't play that often with. She could have them, for a while…"

"I play with all my toys!" insisted Andy.

"Shh!" said Mom, cradling Molly, who was now crying out loud.

"Andy… Please. Raising a kid isn't easy. Luckily your mom and I had you for practice, but you… You also need to learn how to behave around her. You have to be gentle –and patient –and kind. Tell me," And Dad kneeled in front on Andy, so they could see eye to eye. "What is it that worries you, about Molly?"

Andy thought for a moment. He didn't want to say anything –he was too upset to talk –but, in the end, he mumbled:

"I… I don't want you and Mom to like her more than me."

Dad sighed. Andy kept silent.

"Anything else?"

"… I think you'll be busy with her all the time… I think you won't play with me anymore."

Dad smiled and hugged Andy. He hugged him back.

"We will always love you a lot, bud," he told his son quietly. "Just because we'll love your sister too doesn't mean we'll love you any less. And about the other thing… Babies are just babies for a while. Then she'll grow up –and you'll miss baby Molly."

"Why?"

"Oh, you'll have to wait to find out."

"Why? Does she get worse!?"

Dad laughed and kissed Andy on the forehead. "It won't be for long, bud. Don't worry."

"Call us if she needs something, alright?" said Mom after leaving Molly, who was asleep again, in the crib. "Goodnight, dear," she said as she kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad."

Dad leaned to him and also kissed his head. Andy picked Woody up and got into bed, glancing from time to time to the crib, where Molly was sleeping soundly. He covered himself and his favorite sheriff up to the nose with his cowboy-themed sheets, and huffed.

"Stupid baby…"

That first night was quiet enough. The next morning, Mom stayed home with Molly while Andy was off to school and Dad was at the office. It turned out that neither parent had bought any new toy –Molly was given the whole Volunteer Fire Department for her to play with, which luckily weren't small enough for her to swallow but were small enough for her to try; she was also given Snake, which she loved shaking around for the little rattling sound he made; Andy's old Bobo the Clown, the softest rubber toy there was in the room, was also thoroughly cleaned and presented to Molly; and old See-N'-Say was also given to her –which soon became her favorite, as Mom sang to her and pushed the button to make the arrow spin and the animal noises made baby Molly laugh. Despite being a handful –weren't all babies, after all? –Woody understood why Mom loved her so much. Molly was truly cute, in an ugly sort of way, with her barely-there curls, big toothless smile and pudgy little fingers. Her laughter was funny to listen to, and when she threw a tantrum –which Woody at this stage knew very well differed a lot from a true upset cry –her whole face swelled up and became red, which made for an amusing picture.

What wasn't funny at all, neither for the toys nor for Andy –who then insisted even more often for his parents to take the baby to their room –was her nightly crying. The first few nights she had been quiet and calm, but after a few days she began waking up before dawn, waking everyone else in the house. Andy groaned and covered his head with the pillow, while either Mom or Dad picked Molly up and tried to calm her and help her go back to sleep. Andy would then go to school shuffling his feet, with dark eye bags and a general grouchiness. None of the toys could get any rest at all; Woody hoped he could help Andy, but the truth was that his kid didn't even seem to remember he was there at all during the baby's crying fits. Mr Potato Head and Hamm were even more insufferable than usual. Rex was antsier, jumpier, and any little noise was enough to startle him. Slinky would fall asleep in the middle of staff meetings.

And then –it was hard to assess when precisely, but it certainly felt later than sooner –Mom remembered they had brought the lamp. While Andy tried to sleep, and Woody wondered if his hat could stop the screaming from piercing his ears, Dad sat Molly on her lap and turned on the lamp –which, in the dark, had a much softer and warmer light –and then pushed the little hidden button. The smaller lights shone, and Molly went quiet for a moment, watching the glowing specks on the walls, her little mouth agape. The lamp –Woody hadn't noticed before –produced a quiet, calming, tinkling music, like a lullaby. Dad smiled and gently swayed little Molly, rocking her back to sleep, as her attention was completely set on the lights. He began to sing to her, and after a few minutes –when Andy had become fast asleep –he closed his eyes and hummed the simple tune, as Molly yawned and rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands.

The next nights, when Molly got restless or woke up from a sudden noise –anything from a truck passing too fast past the house, the bangs and hammering caused by the boisterous kid who lived next door, the barking of his dog, the heating system being activated, or just a particularly loud snore –she was swiftly comforted with the twinkling music, lights and a softly hummed lullaby. Woody noticed even Andy seemed to sleep more soundly with the lamp, even though he wasn't the one who was urgently needing calming.

And, when Molly, either already dreaming or just about to close her eyes, would be lovingly tucked in the crib, Woody would look up to the dresser beside it –and see the softly lit shepherdess, leaning onto her crook, while peeking down at the baby. He saw how Molly, her eyes sleepy and slow-blinking, would look up at the porcelain figurine's face, and the lights that floated behind her.

So Woody was expectedly stunned when, one particularly peaceful night, while he gazed at the porcelain figurine while being lulled by the lights and the music –the porcelain figurine's eyes shifted ever so gently –and suddenly her blue eyes were staring back at him, her gentle smile gone, replaced by a look of absolute bewilderment.

Next morning, just as Woody had once promised, they'd tried again. With the help of Sarge and the army men, who were small and light enough to manage to climb and get to her, a message was delivered to the shepherdess, and they soon returned with a reply:

"She says she's much honored to be welcomed here, and that she wishes she could say so in person," said Sarge. "She also wished to apologize profusely if it had seemed she didn't want to answer previous communication attempts –she wasn't awake by then."

"See?" said Slinky. "I told y'all we had to give her a chance!"

"Sarge," said Woody. "Do you think there's a way we could pull Mike up there?"

Sarge looked at Mike up and down. "Negative, sir. He's a particularly heavy object. An attempt could be fatal."

"Hmm… Hamm?" called Woody. "Do you think we could prop Mike a little higher, so Miss Shepherdess could talk through the microphone?"

"I'm on it," said Hamm.

He immediately leaded the army men and brought several blocks, tabletop game boxes, and encyclopedias to build a stair and a platform for Mike to stand in. The toys surrounded the platform, looking up, anxious to see the new arrival.

"Would that be high enough?"

"Let's hope it is," said Woody, climbing up next to Mike and picking up the microphone. "Um –Miss? Can you hear me?"

Silence. There was a small sound –something that sounded like a yes, and then a brief piece of the soft tinkling music. Woody smiled.

"Affirmative, sir," said Sarge. "We can proceed."

Woody nodded –and looked up. "Miss, I'm gonna throw the microphone up now –please be ready."

There was a silence. Slowly, a small face emerged from the edge of the top of the dresser: a pale face with a pink bonnet. She seemed a bit nervous, but held her blue crook with a steady grip.

Woody grabbed the other end of the microphone, and began swinging it, preparing to throw it as high as possible. "Alright. One… Two…"

"Woody!"

The cowboy groaned and stopped. Rocky, in the middle of the crowd, had raised his muscular arm. "Rocky strongest in the room. Rocky could easily throw microphone up high to Miss Sheep Lady."

"I'm the room leader," said Woody disdainfully, resuming the swinging. "And it is my duty to do this—"

He threw the microphone as high as he could –which was pretty high –and the shepherdess swung her crook to try and catch it –but it wasn't high enough –and the microphone fell square on Woody's head, knocking him over. There was a wave of laughter throughout the crowd.

"Alright, alright, you've had your laugh!" he said, standing up, straightening his hat. "Shut up, now!"

"Are you going to try again, Woody?" asked Mr Potato Head. "In that case, I want the front row seat!"

Everyone laughed again. Woody finally relinquished the microphone to Rocky, who –in one swift gesture –threw the microphone as high as the cord would let it, and the shepherdess caught it in her crook.

"Well, mission accomplished, then," said Woody, trying not to sound too upset. He touched the top of his hat, wondering if the microphone had made a dent on it. "Miss –can you speak to us now?"

There were a few seconds of nothing –and then a soft cough –and a voice answered back through the toy tape recorder:

"Yes, yes I can."

There was clapping and whooping. Woody sighed, happy that at least it had worked.

"Can you hear us, Miss?"

There was a moment of silence. It seemed she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, I heard a little sound –but didn't quite understand…"

"He said, can you hear us—!?" shouted Rex, just before Woody managed to stop him.

"Rex, Mom's downstairs!"

"Oh –sorry…"

"Thank you for the message," said the shepherdess through the microphone. "My name is Bo Peep."

"She sounds nice!" said Rex with a smile.

"A voice is just a voice," said Mr Potato Head with a scoff.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said sweetly. "Thank you for welcoming me here."

"It's our pleasure, Miss Peep!" said Slinky, despite her not being able to hear him.

"I've heard the baby here is named Molly; and there's another boy, whose name is Andy."

Woody smiled. He walked closer to Mike, and put his hand over his handle.

"They are darlings, both of them; I think I'll be quite happy here."

Mike vibrated ever so gently with the sound of Miss Bo Peep's voice. Woody thought that being able to contact someone so high up was nothing short of a miracle; even contacting Martians on the Moon seemed feasible now.

"Think we can find a way to bring her down with us, Sarge?" he asked.

Sarge took his sweet time considering the question. "Any attempt could be fatal, sir. I've seen Miss Bo Peep –she's about Rex's size, and made wholly out of porcelain. It is not something we can manage to attempt to do risk-free."

"I understand. At ease, soldiers," said Woody with a sigh. He turned to the crowd. "Alright, listen everyone –Miss Bo Peep is now, officially, a part of the room. So like I said in the emergency staff meeting: I wanna see you all in your best behavior. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"We're gonna try to bring her to us, but we have to keep in mind that perhaps she might want to stay up there…"

"Of course she would, the snob," muttered Mr Potato Head. "Why mix with the peasants, right?"

"So, we'll have to see what opportunities we have to continue communicating with her. If anyone, at any time, has any ideas, you're free to tell me or Slinky. No ideas are bad ideas… Just try to come up with good ideas. That's all," said Woody. "Meeting adjourned."

"Um, hello? Is anyone still there?" said Bo Peep through the microphone. "I just… I wanted to tell you thank you for… For throwing me the microphone. It has been nice to talk to someone else. And –if anyone would like to come by, they're most certainly welcome."

"She's a peach, isn't she, Woody?" asked Slinky. "Sounds like a real sweetheart."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Looks like it would be pretty hard to reach up there, though," he continued.

"Indeed. That's the issue, Slink…"

"At least you'll be able to see her, right?" asked Slinky. "From atop the bed?"

"What? Ah, yes, I see her. But there's no way to talk from there, being so far away."

The days went on, with Molly spending a lot of time with the little firefighters –who, despite her drooling and rather rough ways, were pretty happy to be played with again. Despite the new complications Woody had to deal with, regarding the new baby, he was still fixed on the idea of the first issue –of how to get Miss Bo Peep down from the dresser. He thought it strange –she was able to move, but wasn't a toy –not really, since she wasn't played with… She was a curious thing, made even stranger by the weird-looking sheep beside her. It puzzled him, and he probably spent more time than needed trying to find a solution.

And, during all that time, especially when he was left on his spot on top of the bed, or when he was raised up high while being played with, or at night, when Andy held on to him and the lamp was turned on, Woody just –he simply looked at her.

Woody didn't know how to be more subtle –how to look at her quietly, politely, without being furtive or weird, without her being unsettled by his gaze. He imagined she'd probably not like –he knew he wouldn't –being supervised as if she was some unruly child –but the fact remained, Bo Peep was a frail little thing. As if it was a game, almost invariably she'd find Woody's eyes fixed on her, and she'd gaze back at him, completely stone-faced, with just a hint of a smirk on the edge of her lips. It was almost like a staring contest. Then he'd look away, simply because he couldn't bear to be watched so deeply. From then on, he tried his best to not subject Miss Bo Peep to the same treatment –and yet, despite himself, his gaze lingered on her even when he didn't mean to. He wondered quite often whether he was going mad again.

"Maybe we could get Sarge to send her more messages," suggested Slinky. "Like a postal system."

"You mean, send her letters?" asked Woody. "We shouldn't leave a paper trail…"

"Huh, you're right," said Slinky. "Well, perhaps you could climb up there, and discuss with Miss Peep a way to get her down."

Woody wasn't listening to him anymore. He was looking up at the dresser –for some reason the shepherdess was sitting on the edge of it, dangling her legs, with her sheep resting by her side. That was a very dangerous position…

"Don't you wanna say anything to Miss Peep, Woody?" Slinky asked him.

"What?"

"Yeah –she's often lookin' at you as if she was expecting something," he said.

"No, heavens," Woody scoffed. "She's just –she's just looking back –she's not expecting…"

Slinky cocked his head. "Well I don't know about that, Woody, but you've been lookin' at her plenty, too."

"What –me? No, that's not—"

"You do –it's very noticeable."

"It's nothing, Slinky. Just –stay out of it, will ya?" Woody said curtly.

Slinky blinked, but said nothing more of the subject; and Woody wondered, holding back his first impulse, to see if in that very moment Bo Peep was looking at him. Perhaps, he thought, she would just stay there –where she was put –and they'd exchange some messages and looks from time to time, never actually directly interacting.

So when he overheard Andy asking Mom to allow him to play with the shepherdess from Molly's lamp –and, even more, Mom allowing it as long as he didn't play rough with it, and made sure to be careful and always leave it back on the lamp when he was done –Woody was stunned.

He watched as Andy reached for her baby sister's lamp. There, where Bo Peep was elegantly poised next to her sheep, Andy carefully got a hold of the base of the lamp –put his hand around Bo Peep's waist, slipping his fingers under the crook she was holding –and pulled. For a moment Woody thought they'd have a disaster in their hands –the porcelain figurine would shatter by the clumsy grasp of the boy –but, much to his surprise, Bo Peep was easily detached from the base with a short popping sound. Andy smiled, satisfied. He left Bo Peep on his bed, just a few inches from where Woody was, and then pulled the sheep off the lamp as well.

Playtime had begun. It was a nice, early morning in town –Bo Peep was selling her sheep's wool and taking a nice stroll with them. But then –a potato-headed criminal emerged from the shadows! And with one fell swoop he grabbed and stole the sheep and, cackling wickedly, he ran away.

"Oh, no! My sheep! My poor little sheep!" said Andy in a high-pitched voice, moving Bo Peep from side to side, as if she was searching for her flock. "Who would do something this wicked?"

He made her run over to the nearest townie –a large fella who looked like a strongman.

"Excuse me, mister, but can you help me?" said Bo Peep, calling his attention. "A short, evil man took my sheep –they are my only companions and source of income –please, I need them back!"

Rocky chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "Don't fear, Miss! Rocky'll bring them right back!" The strongman had a deep, booming voice. Bo Peep thought he appeared to be a reliable fella.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"Say, where was the last time you saw your sheep?"

"I was by the town square… Next to the general store. I was walking by, and then out of a dark alley the thief came and stole from me."

"The general store?" the strongman repeated. "Rocky knows where that is. Rocky will come in a matter of minutes with the stolen sheep."

"Thank you! Please, Mr Rocky, hurry!" she said.

While Rocky was out searching for the kidnapped sheep, a small round child with a red helmet approached Bo Peep. Recognizing him to be in uniform, she called him.

"Pardon me, young man…"

The boy turned to her. "Good morning, Miss. How may I help you?"

Bo Peep leaned down just a bit, to see the child's face more clearly. "My sheep have been stolen –a strong man said he could help me –but perhaps, I was wondering, there's somewhere where I could file an official report."

"Oh –I am very sorry for your sheep, Miss."

"Thank you," said Bo Peep. "This had never happened to me before…"

"We all need to be careful now, Miss. There's been a thief on the loose: One-Eyed Bart. And it wouldn't surprise me that it was him who took your flock."

"A thief on the loose?" gasped Bo Peep. "What else has he done?"

"Oh, numerous misdemeanors –theft, burglary, littering, spitting, jaywalking, arson… In fact, I'm part of the town's local Volunteer Firefighting Department," the child said proudly. "We've had to put out several fires started by that very man."

"Ain't you a bit too young to be a firefighter, dear?" asked Bo Peep.

"It's a living, Miss," the little uniformed kid sighed. "Well, I'd better go back with the boys. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you."

"And if you need any help with your lost sheep, I pressingly recommend you pay a visit to our local sheriff. He'd surely be delighted to lend you a hand."

"Oh, thank you! Where would this sheriff be?"

The little boy directed her to the spot. Bo Peep followed his instructions, and just before reaching the place –a snake came in her way.

"My –excuse me, missy!" said the snake, tipping his bowler hat. "But I couldn't help listening –did you say 'stolen sheep'?"

"Well, not precisely, but that is what has happened. Why d'you ask?" said Bo. "Have you seen them?"

"Sheep!" exclaimed the snake. "Why, I've just seen a buncha sheep out in the field, runnin' loose!"

"You did!?"

"Yeah –better come with me, missy, before they—"

"Hold it right there –you snake!"

Bo Peep and the snake turned around. The sheriff was there –with his badge shining bright, his hat shadowing his face. Bo let out a surprised gasp –and the snake went livid.

"Now skedaddle, you slimy ne'er-do-well," ordered Woody.

The snake quickly slithered away, cowering in fear. Woody approached the startled shepherdess with a tip of his hat.

"Excuse me, miss…"

"Peep, Bo Peep," she said with a brief curtsy.

"Excuse me, but there's quite a few unsavory fellas 'round town which aren't to be trusted. They're the sort of people to take advantage of innocent folks, such as you…"

"Oh, thank you very much, sheriff."

"Don't mention it," said Woody. "So, what would be the problem?"

"My sheep –my poor little sheep –they have been stolen," said Bo, mournfully. "By that alley, sheriff, was where I have been robbed…"

Woody had a blast playing the sheriff, as the usual plotline unfurled and he captured the evil Pete by tending him a trap; but what truly surprised him was how, all in all, that playtime's protagonist seemed to be Miss Bo Peep. When Rocky came back enthusiastically with a handful of white tangled wool, it was Bo Peep who took the lead, while the sheriff was left aside to let her politely take her moment to gently thank him for his efforts. When Woody located the sheep, Bo Peep was given the central place to tell him how much these sheep meant to her, as the last that remained from a great flock she once had, most of which had been devoured by a voracious Tyrannosaurus Rex. When Woody captured One-Eyed Bart by taunting him to kidnap Miss Bo Peep –who herself suggested to be the bait for Woody's hunt –it was she who gave Bart a harsh scolding, telling him –not mincing words in the slightest –that she hoped he would rot in jail. And, when Pete made his typical escape, and after a daring chase Woody apologized to her for losing his trail, Bo Peep smiled and told him he'd catch the criminal another time –and that she was happy enough to be reunited with her dear sheep. And, just after saying this, Andy brought Bo Peep closer to Woody –and, as her bonnet was pressed against the cowboy's hat –Bo Peep's smooth porcelain face touched Woody's cheek, in a thankful mock-kiss.

After that, Mom went upstairs to call Andy to dinner. She saw him with Woody in one hand and Bo Peep in the other –and immediately went to see how the shepherdess was, making sure she had no chips or cracks, and put Bo Peep and her sheep back onto the lamp before going with Andy down the stairs to the kitchen.

"You were great, Snake," said Robot, going to his friend. "Your interpretation was masterful."

Snake hissed proudly. Mr Potato Head scoffed and snatched his hat off the plastic reptile.

"The audacity, stealing my spotlight –remember, if you're gonna be a villain –you bet you'll stay a henchsnake!"

"I wasn't there for very long, but I thought it was nice I finally got an important role," commented Rex. "I mean, the sheep-eating dinosaur? That's an interesting character! Right?" he insisted, turning to Woody. "Right? Do you think I could be a recurring character?"

"Hey, Miss Peep?" asked Woody, cupping his hands around his mouth so as to be heard loud and clear. Mike came closer and offered him the microphone. "Oh –thanks. Hey, um… Miss Peep, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

The pink bonnet peeked from above the dresser. "Yes, thank you," Woody managed to hear.

"Alright… Call if you need anything."

"Alright. Thank you, sheriff."

Woody nodded, even if it was likely she could barely see him. He turned around –and Mr Potato Head was just in front of him, with a sly grin under his mustache. Woody sighed.

"What on Earth do you want, Potato Head?

"Me? Nothing, nothing," he said with a shrug, still grinning. "But it seems you got a leading lady, now."

"She's Molly's toy, not Andy," he said, straightening his hat and neckerchief. "And Mom probably won't let him play with her anymore."

"That may be –but what about you, Woody? Are you gonna keep playing with her?"

Woody turned around to glare at him, swallowing his indignation. "What're you suggesting?"

"For cryin' out loud –we all saw it, Woody –you smooching that doll…" added Hamm. "You can't deny that."

"It was pretend, and you know it!" Woody cried. "It was all part of Andy's playing!"

"That doesn't mean you didn't enjoy it," said Hamm.

"I didn't—!"

"Didn't you?"

"I –I mean –I didn't say—"

"If you're not interested in her it's alright, mister," said Hamm, stifling a laugh. "She's a farm gal –I'm a farm guy –I think it could work out…"

"Don't you even think—"

"So you do!" exclaimed Rex, who had been listening to the whole thing.

"He does?" asked Slinky. "Does what?"

"What did I do?"

"Oh, you do you, sheriff," said Hamm, returning to his game of solitaire. "I'm just sayin'… Everyone sees you looking at her when she's turned on."

Mr Potato Head let out a loud cackle, and Hamm snickered, giving his back to Woody. Meanwhile, the cowboy had to make a huge effort not to cuss them both out the room. He went to Slinky, sitting by the bed, curling his hands into tense fists. When he saw Slinky taking out the checkers' board, Woody wished he could take it and smash it onto Hamm's head.

"Can you believe this –I'm just trying to keep good care of Miss Bo Peep, and these idiots think I'm… I don't know, some kind of… of… of Peeping Tom!"

Slinky chuckled, setting pieces on the board. "You keep talking back at 'em, they'll keep getting' a rise outta you, Woody."

"I know, Slink, it's just that…" Woody looked up, at the top of the baby dresser, to where the lamp was. He sighed, scratching his nape. "… I don't want her to get the wrong impression, y'know?"

Slinky looked confused. "Oh… I didn't."

"You thought I wanted her to get a wrong impression?"

"No, it's just… I thought you did like Miss Peep."

"Come on, Slink, I barely know her," said Woody, sitting in front of him. "Are you the black or the red?"

"Red," said Slinky. "So? Then get to know her. She said she'd welcome anyone who'd come by."

"She said that to be polite, Slink," said Woody, turning his attention to the game and moving a piece. "It wasn't an invitation."

"I think she didn't say that to be polite," said Slinky, moving and eating two of Woody's pieces. "I think she said that because she's polite."

"Really –and what on Earth would we talk about?" asked Woody jokingly, though he imagined Slinky knew that it was, partly, an honest question.

"Well, is there anything you'd like to say to her?" asked Slinky. "I'd like to meet her, but I don't think I'd have much to tell her. You, on the other hand –or so people say…"

"What do people say?"

"You watch over her. Or more like, you both watch over the other. I guess two people who spend so much time looking at each other may have one or two questions on their minds they'd like to answer."

Woody scoffed, but Slinky wasn't wrong. He looked up from the board, and smiled at his friend. "Since when did you get so wise?"

"I've always been," said Slinky. "It's just that you prefer to listen to yourself doin' the talkin'."

There weren't any news from above the dresser for the next few days. Woody began to look at her less –trying to focus on Andy –when, at night, one of the parents would come to lull Molly to sleep. He still could hear the gentle music from the lamp, and the lullabies hummed, but he began to accept the possibility that Miss Bo Peep would be just Molly's toy, by the time she would grow up enough to be able to play nice with her.

This relative peace was interrupted by a sudden event –one schoolday afternoon, while Mom was trying to feed Molly downstairs –Miss Bo Peep, out of her lamp, was trying to climb down from the dresser. Woody, planning the next staff meeting, hadn't noticed until Robot cried "The lady's dangling from the knobs!" followed by the faint sound of porcelain clinking. Immediately, Woody pulled Andy's pillow from the bed, and ordered the fire department to take it to be placed under the dresser, in case of an accident.

Bo Peep had somehow managed to lock her crook around the knob of the top drawer of the baby dresser, jump off the top, and was now dangling from it, hanging to her crook for dear life. Woody and the rest of the toys gathered around.

"Rocky, d'you think you can manage to catch her?" asked Hamm.

"If she falls from that height onto Rocky, she'll be shattered!" exclaimed Woody. He grabbed Mike's microphone and quickly exclaimed: "Miss, hold on! We got a pillow under you to soften your fall!"

Bo Peep looked down, at the pillow prepared for her. She was clearly struggling with moving her frock around, considering how voluminous it was and how hard it was to navigate in it.

"Let go!"

"You'll be fine!"

"You really think that's enough?" asked Slinky.

"It'll be enough –the issue will be her climbing up again," said Woody, pacing nervously. "As long as she falls right onto the pillow and not crash against the dust bin –or worse, against the bars of the crib—"

And just then, when Bo Peep's porcelain hands were slipping from her crook, there were steps coming up the stairs.

"It's Mom!" cried Hamm.

"Everyone, places!" said Woody automatically –but Bo Peep was still hanging, just about to fall. While everyone ran to their spots he tried to stay there just a few more seconds –just to make sure she made it safely.

The steps were now on the hall –there was no more time –so Woody collapsed –and then Mom entered the room, carrying Molly in her arms. She bent to grab something from inside the crib, but then noticed the lamp figurine, laying on a cowboy-themed pillow on the floor. She huffed.

"Dammit, Andy…"

She picked the porcelain shepherdess up, returned her to the lamp, and then picked the pillow too, and left it on Andy's bed –there was a soft sound –and she immediately jumped back. She had stepped on the cowboy's ragdoll body.

"Oh –Woody! Why doesn't that kid just put his toys where they…" With a sigh, Mom picked Woody up and sat him on Andy's bed. She turned her attention to Molly, and talked to her in her baby voice: "Isn't Andy naughty? Leaving everything everywhere! One could say, he's even messier than you!"

Mom left the room. There was a brief silence before Woody sat up.

"Coast is clear, guys."

Luckily his badge was alright, he thought, relieved. He came down from the bed, and as the toys followed him, he asked through the microphone:

"Miss, are you alright? Did you break anything?"

"No…" He managed to hear from the top of dresser.

Woody and Slinky sighed in relief. The rest of the toys were now rather bored of the whole thing, and returned to their places.

"Hey, Woody –if the lady's coming down, why's she delaying it so much?" asked Hamm.

"She just –she just tried to come and almost killed herself," he replied angrily. "What do you want us to do?"

"I don't know –you're the idea man, Woody!" exclaimed Hamm. "Think something up!"

So Woody thought –the staff meeting could wait.

He remembered when Dad had taught Andy how to make and use a lasso –Woody had known how to do so from his days with Davy –and perhaps, if he managed to fit his plastic ring on the knobs –though they looked too big for that –maybe it could be managed. And if he opened the bottom door in the dresser just a bit, he could step on the edge of it –just enough to take his plastic ring back again and climb to the top drawer –and then… Perhaps by that point he could get to the top of the dresser, with a well-calculated jump.

As he began climbing, he thought it was unfortunate that he had to do so without first announcing his visit, but then again, he rationalized, as the leader of the room, Woody had the responsibility and obligation to properly introduce himself and everyone else to a new toy. And it would be best to do it as soon as possible –before Miss Bo Peep tried some new stunt again and ended up hurting herself.

But his ring was still caught on the second knob –and as he pulled himself up and the string stretched –he lost his balance and the ring was released –There's a snake in my boot! –and Woody yelped and almost fell –but Miss Bo Peep caught him with her crook just in the nick of time. He chuckled nervously, straightening his hat, and stepped on the top of the dresser. The three sheep glared at the cowboy, unimpressed.

"Well, hello, critters—"

He stretched his hand to pet the head closest to him –and it tried to bite him –Woody pulled his hand away, startled.

"Forgive them, they're not particularly trusting," smiled Miss Bo Peep. "Even when they like you, they might try to bite."

Woody looked up at the shepherdess. "They don't seem to like me at all…"

"Give 'em time, I'm sure they'll warm up to you."

He had seen her up close –perhaps too close –from the last time she participated in Andy's playtime, but seeing her in motion was something else. Bo Peep held herself quite gracefully, with her back straight and her arms close to her body. She leaned on her crook, just barely shifting her weight onto it, softly tilting her head to see better from under her pink bonnet.

"Thanks for the pillow, that other day," she said.

"Oh, it was nothing… We toys need to care for each other," said Woody. Then he recalled –was she a toy? He guessed so, since Andy had played with her. He didn't find it polite to ask her.

"You're the sheriff, right?" she asked as she approached him.

"Yes, I'm Sheriff Woody Pride," he said, tipping his hat. "And I'm the leader of Andy's room. I'm the one who threw you the microphone—"

"And it fell on your head, right?" said Bo Peep, with a wide smile. "Yes, I remember that very well."

Woody nodded and confirmed it, much to his own chagrin. Bo Peep let out an amused laugh –a contagious, bright laugh –and the cowboy couldn't help but smile.

"Please, don't take it personal, sheriff," said Bo Peep. "I saw it was you who organizes everyone else… That can't be easy, with so many folks here."

"Well, I… I've been doing this for a long time now," he said quite proudly.

"I see you all from up here… I can't listen to everything you say –but I hear plenty: you're a loud bunch," said Bo Peep. Woody nodded, wringing his hands, worried about what she had heard –for whatever reason, it had never occurred to him that she could be watching them all. "I can't lean in too much," she said, peeking over the edge of the dresser, standing precariously on the tip on her flat black shoes. "'Cause it's risky and all, you know. But still –it's nice to see other people, even from afar."

Bo Peep moved back from the edge, without tripping or anything, luckily. Woody could breathe again. She turned around to look at him, her skirts making a soft swishing sound as she moved, like the sound of leaves swaying in the breeze of a summer afternoon.

"I heard something concerning me, from down there… Something about a kiss?"

Woody gulped. "Ah, yeah… It's just the guys, messing with me."

"Ah –that settles it."

"Yeah…"

There was an awkward silence. Woody thought that maybe she had been put off by the unwanted physical contact during playtime –after all, they had barely even been introduced to each other yet. If that was it, it was only proper for him to apologize.

"I'm sorry about it… About the kiss, that is," said Woody. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Why're you apologizing? It wasn't you –it was Andy, playing with you –with us."

Why didn't he think of that excuse?, he thought. "Oh! That's right."

"Are you really sorry about the kiss?"

"Me? Sorry? I'm not… What?" Woody turned around, trying to minimize the situation –when really he was rattled. "Me, sorry? Ah, no… It wasn't a big deal. It's just part of the whole thing, I guess… Of being played with. I mean, it's not something I'm used to, but… I wasn't precisely looking forward to it."

"Oh…" said Bo Peep, sounding rather disappointed. "Well, I'm not sorry about it. Actually, I rather liked it."

"You did?"

Bo Peep smiled at him. "Didn't you?"

Woody didn't know what to say, so he scoffed, unsure of how she'd take it. So many years in a room full of dolls, and he still didn't seem to know how to talk to girls well enough. Most of all, he hadn't expected her to be so upfront. When toys were fresh out of their boxes, they might be rather interrogative and just a bit overwhelming, but they were still pretty naïve.

Bo Peep looked down at her feet. "I heard some shouting the other day. I think the pig and the potato man were arguing just about that—"

"How much did you hear?"

He stopped himself. What was he doing? Bo Peep, her eyes fixed down, was still smiling –a delighted smile, as if she was having the time of her life. Woody was glad he was amusing her, but there was still a shred of respect he had to preserve.

"What I mean is, I don't want you to get confused…"

"Oh, I bet you don't," said Bo Peep, suddenly looking up. "So, tell me what was that all about, sheriff."

Maybe it was because nobody at Andy's room really called him sheriff anymore, but the way she said it to him –almost like a tease –made him a bit peeved –yet he somehow kind of relished it. It was certainly different from when Potato Head or Hamm pestered him… And they were up on the dresser, up high, and nobody could see them. Was it wrong, to like it just a little bit?

"I… They were telling me how you're gonna be my… My 'leading lady' –those were their words, not mine—"

"You think that's my new role, here?" she asked him.

"Maybe –probably –if Mom keeps letting Andy play with you… He did seem to get a liking to you."

"But would you like to play with me?"

Oh, she had heard. Woody shrugged, scratched his nape, fixed his neckerchief, anything to delay the answer and get some precious seconds to think. "In the sense of… During playtime –with Andy playing with us –then yes, I… I'd like to continue playing with you. If that's what you meant."

"Yes, of course," said Bo Peep with a frown. "That's what I meant. What did it come across as?"

"Nothing –nothing…"

"… Alright, then," Bo Peep then turned her attention back to the rest of the room. "I also heard about that handsome piggy commenting on the possibility of wooing me –what d'you know about that?"

"'Scuse me?"

Bo Peep burst out laughing at Woody's livid face. Even the sheep bleated something that sounded a lot like laughter. He had expected it to be a joke –but of course there was no way to be completely sure –and just the mention of it was enough to make his skin crawl.

"Oh, heavens, I'm so sorry…" she said, not seeming sorry at all. "I just couldn't resist… It's so easy to get you all bothered."

"Yeah –it's evident, by now."

"Well, you've not answered most of my questions, but I guess you'll have the time to do so later," said Bo Peep. "Now tell me, please, what are the toys' names? I want to know them all before I come back during the next playtime."

That he could do. They got closer –but not too close –to the edge of the dresser, and Woody pointed each of the toys and gave her their names, the roles they had during playtime, and general personality traits. By the time he was telling her all about local strongman Rocky of Gibraltar, the famous boxer, Woody had noticed her glancing at him by the corner of his eye.

"Those are all the toys here. Oh –I said it was Rex –but Robot was Andy's last birthday's gift, so he's the second newest one –after you."

"I see."

"So… D'you think you'll still be played with by Andy?"

"I sure hope so!" Bo Peep said excitedly. "I had a lot of fun… I'd love to do it all again."

"It's nice, isn't it?" he smiled. "I've been with Andy ever since he was a baby, and yet every single playtime… It feels like the best thing in the whole dang world."

Bo Peep smiled, gazing at him. Woody turned to look at her –and her smile was so bright, so sweet, that he immediately looked away, embarrassed –and she laughed again.

"I'm sorry, Miss Peep –I'm clearly too nervous…"

"Just a bit," snickered Bo. "What's the problem, sheriff?"

The cowboy took a deep breath. "I… I don't even like thinking 'bout it, but… I admit I can be, sometimes, just occasionally… A bit insecure. And hotheaded, too."

Bo laughed. "Yes, I have noticed."

Woody smiled, rather ashamed of it. Bo shrugged.

"Nobody's perfect, sheriff. I guess you've noticed I myself… Generally speaking, I can be too naïve. And I was a bit nervous about talking to you all at first –I'm sorry if it seemed like I was uninterested in meeting you all. But mostly… I should have been more careful that other day, I admit."

"You should have –but then again… You're clearly pretty smart. And so far, you're really good at communicating."

"Communicating?" Bo Peep asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, most of the other toys –when they first arrived –tried to learn everything by experience…" Woody explained, as best as he could. "They're plastic, they're durable, so usually I let them do whatever they wanted. Most toys here aren't keen on being seen as too questioning –they think it means they don't know anything, and they're ashamed of that. But you're not afraid of admitting you don't know things, and to ask…. That's rather rare."

"Perhaps not so much to the dinosaur… Rex, was it?"

"Rex is always just a bit on edge, Miss," smiled Woody.

"I do have to admit, sheriff…" said Bo Peep, quietly, leaning just a bit closer. "Most of the time, I'm quite terrified. I guess you know why. But I can't show it, I have to be fearless –for my girls."

Bo gestured down, at her sheep. Woody reached out a hand to them, once again, slowly –but they still pulled back, apprehensively.

"I wish I was as good a leader, as brave as you are, sheriff," she said with a sigh, leaning onto her crook.

Woody looked at her round, pretty face. "I'm just putting a show for the guys, too," he admitted. "I'm always a bit afraid, too… Not of being broken –not like you, precisely –but of something kind of similar, I guess… I've always been afraid Andy outgrows me. It's a matter of when, not if, after all."

It felt weird to admit it to someone else than Slinky.

"Oh, sheriff… But you'll still have all these lovely folk, all your friends. Me, I have my dear sheep," and Bo Peep petted them just like they liked it, scratching behind their ears, and they let out a happy bleat. "But I guess you'll have noticed they're not the best at conversations."

The sheep stopped bleating and glared at her, offended. She and Woody let out a laugh.

"Most of the time, life on the lamp is so lonesome," said Bo Peep. "I'd love to come down more often, and join you all… But you're right –it's quite a risk to take."

"Well, I don't think you should worry too much about being lonesome, Miss Peep," said Woody. "I mean, you're…" He took a moment to measure his words. Bo waited for him to do so, her blue eyes wide open. "You're… Very, very lovely, if I may say so—"

"You may," she said, quite pleased.

"And, if you'd accept me, I'd… I could be your companion."

Bo smiled, lighting up. "Yes, I think… You'd be a good partner."

Woody nodded, stifling an elated grin. This whole deal went over much smoother than what he had expected.

"Despite your hotheadedness, of course."

Woody laughed. "Yes, of course," And, after a few seconds, added: "I'll work on that."

Both nodded. Bo gripped her crook with both hands. Woody tightly squeezed his left elbow.

"Well! I should get going…"

"Already? Oh, well… Bye for now," said Bo Peep.

"G'bye, Miss Peep," he said, tipping his hat, hoping his bashfulness wasn't too obvious.

"You can just call me Bo, sheriff," she chuckled. "No need for those formalities at this point. Now, say goodbye, girls!"

The sheep approached Woody, still a bit untrusting. He reached out his hand, and the head in the middle –he had to ask her their names, someday –went in for the petting, and closed its eyes. Woody let out a small gasp, as Bo smiled. He scratched them behind the ears, like Bo had done, and out of a sudden all three of them were bleating and pushing each other for scratching and pets.

"See? Told you they'd warm up to you," said Bo.

He looked up to her, and, with one last smile, went down from the dresser. She watched him go back to the carpet and to the rest of the toys, as her sheep returned to her side. Bo let out a resigned sigh.

After that conversation, Woody wondered whether the jokes of the other fellas were right on the money. He was jealous –he knew jealousy very well –by the mere idea of someone else, be it Hamm or anyone, wooing Bo Peep. He also knew very well that jealousy was a ridiculous emotion, and that if Bo Peep really –he didn't think so –but if she really wanted to date someone like Hamm, there'd be nothing he could do.

On the other hand, even if he didn't find it particularly convenient, if he ended up being in love with Bo Peep –something that could be very likely, both in account of how pretty and how blunt she was –then there would also be nothing he could do. The biggest question was whether Bo Peep liked him, in that particular sense, or was just messing with him, teasing him, as she had admitted she liked to do.

Without any of the toys knowing until the deal was already done, Andy had convinced his mother to let him play with Bo Peep and her sheep –promising he'd always leave her on her lamp afterwards, and to never put her somewhere where she could fall or be stepped on or broken. Bo Peep's role was never a principal figure again –she was now the designated damsel in distress, someone for sheriff Woody to rescue. The cowboy figured it was alright, then: that meant she would be as less handled as possible. And, as promised, after playtime Bo Peep was returned to her lamp –and so any kind of actual talking couldn't be done.

Woody didn't try to climb up the dresser again; he didn't want to seem too insistent. He resigned himself to only see her during playtime –where she played her romantic interest –and then each would go back to their flock; so when, one night, while Molly and Andy and their parents were already asleep, and Woody was awakened by the sound of clinking porcelain, he almost thought he had imagined it. He turned away from Andy, to see that there was no one on the lamp, which was still turned on and glowing gently in the pitch-black darkness of that moonless night. Woody gasped. And then he noticed –the sheep were pushing a children's storybook that Bo Peep was trying to aim properly with her crook, holding the top of it and trying to see, at the same time, where on the desk it could land. Woody sat up. She was trying to make a bridge between the dresser and the desk. He looked around –everyone else was either asleep or away in the toy box –and he couldn't take the pillow away from Andy, he was sleeping on it!

What else was there? What else could he use for her to land on safely?

While he was panicking, Bo had set the book and was now stepping on it and poking it with her crook, testing its stability. And just as Woody climbed down the bed and hurried to her, she was already crossing over the storybook –luckily it was a hardcover –while her sheep made a counterweight on the other edge of it. Woody stopped right by the desk chair. Bo had crossed it, was already standing on top of the desk, and she was alright. All that time, had it really been that easy?

Nonetheless, it had been a huge risk. If the book hadn't been long enough, or the sheep heavy enough, or the angle not right… Bo Peep couldn't just keep doing these crazy stunts, not when she was so fragile. And as leader of the room, he had to make that clear. He went up to the desk, jumping to the chair and climbing on the top drawer's handle. Bo seemed rather happy to see him –though it was hard to tell, her face shadowed and with the light of the lamp behind her.

"What are you doing?" whispered Woody, scandalized.

"I'm getting myself onto this desk, that's what I'm doing," said Bo. "It's terribly boring up on that dresser."

"But you're indispensable to Molly –you need to go back to your kid!"

"Shouldn't you be back with your own kid?" asked Bo, teasing him. But Woody was not in the mood. "Don't worry about my wellbeing, sheriff. I mean, look at me –I've done it well enough to get this far on my own, without a single scratch!"

"Shh!" said Woody. "Well, that may be so, but still, you should be more careful –you're not a ragdoll like me –you shouldn't take unnecessary risks!"

"Who're you to boss me around?"

"I'm Andy's favorite –the leader of the room," said Woody, losing his patience. "I'm –I'm not trying to boss you around –I just mean –it's not just about Molly, if Andy plays with you then you're also his toy, and that means I have to care for you and make sure you're not getting chipped or cracked or—"

"I have made and crossed this bridge, as you can well see," argued Bo. "Yes, I admit –I've done so already –that I was foolish before, by trying to get down through the dresser knobs, but I've learned my lesson."

"But—!"

"Didn't you say you let the other toys learn by themselves?"

"They're different…"

"Just 'cause they're plastic?" asked Bo. "Well, I think I can take care of myself just fine, thank you very much."

"I'm just trying to take care of you, too—" insisted Woody.

"You really don't need to do that…"

"I can't help myself, I have to care…!"

Bo looked at Woody up and down. She had noticed they were standing pretty dang close. She raised her hand to him –he almost flinched –but Bo Peep simply flattened Woody's red neckerchief, which had come out from under his plaid shirt.

"Um… Thanks," he muttered. "I hadn't noticed."

"Thank you for caring. I truly mean it," said Bo quietly. "But I think you ought to relax a bit, and try to care a bit less."

"I can't."

Bo sighed. She brought her hand back to holding her crook, and leant on it. Woody gulped and glanced back at the bed. No matter how much he wanted to just keep looking at her, her smooth shiny face just dimly lit by her lamp, he had to go back to Andy –and come up with a good deal to make with Bo.

"Listen, what if… What if you cross this bridge here while Andy's at school and Mom's downstairs with Molly?" he offered her. "That way you can be with us outside of playtime, but still manage to go back to the lamp when needed. But you need to be quick –you can't be seen out of the lamp. Is that reasonable to you?"

"… I guess that sounds alright…"

"You just can't go running around at night, when you have to be in your spot, by Molly's lamp,"

Bo glared at him, and finally huffed.

"Alright, sheriff," said Bo, tipping Woody's lopsided hat with her crook. "You win this round."

There was an empty moment –each thought the other wanted to have the last word –but there was only a brief silence. Woody was about to say goodnight –but Bo Peep turned around, crossed her makeshift bridge, and returned to the light of her lamp, glowing by Molly's little sleeping head.

The bridge proved to be a wonderful solution: now Bo Peep and her sheep would go to the desk as soon as Molly was taken downstairs and Andy was off to school. In no time at all, Hamm and Bo Peep devised another way to help her down from the desk and onto the floor, one in which she could make use her crook and remain unscathed. The shepherdess was beaming with joy from being down from the dresser, among the other toys. They all wanted to meet her, know about her, ask her questions. Fortunately, the rules Woody had established were followed to a tee. The only one who made an effort not to like her was Mr Potato Head, who resented her basically just for being made of porcelain; and even then, Bo Peep was simply so enthusiastic and interested in everyone's day-to-day activities that he even taught her how to play cards with him and Hamm –and, as Woody noticed, she lost on purpose just to give him the satisfaction.

"You're making him pity you, not making him warm up to you," commented Woody, after following one particularly heated card game. "You know that, right?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Bo Peep replied. "After all, if I lose on purpose I can win anytime I want. That'll wipe that giddy smile off his face… And besides, I don't care that much if he likes me or not. Not everyone has to, y'know."

Woody scoffed. "It's not even that he doesn't like you. Potato Head just doesn't want to admit that he was on the wrong."

"On the wrong about that?"

"About you… Not being as snobbish as he had assumed."

Bo raised an eyebrow at him. "So I'm less snobbish than he had assumed…"

"Yeah –I mean, you're not snobbish," said Woody in an attempt to correct himself. "I meant less in the sense of—"

"I know, sheriff, I'm just messing with you," laughed Bo Peep.

Woody chuckled. Bo looked at him up and down, and smiled.

"Wanna come with me to the desk?"

"Hm? What for?"

"Just to look out the window, dummy," she said. "Of course, you can refuse if you're too busy, or if you think it's too boring an activity…"

"No, it's alright –looking out the window is alright by me," said Woody with a shrug.

They climbed together up to the desk: Woody was flexible enough to manage to jump and land without any issues, while Bo Peep had to use her crook to cling it to something and then prop herself up. Woody offered to help her, but she smiled and said it was alright –she had done this several times already. And so they sat, and looked out the window. It was sunny and bright, a nice summer morning. Bo Peep took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Isn't it wonderful, out there?" she asked him. Woody turned to her, and then back at the window. "With that beautiful blue sky, and all the green treetops…"

"You've a beautiful blue sky right here," chuckled Woody, gesturing at the room's wallpaper.

"I don't mean that," she said. "I mean all that wide open space –all these houses –all those trees –and all those people –the world is just so big…"

"… It's really terrifying," Woody commented quietly.

"Yes –it is," said Bo. "But it's also really marvelous."

Woody didn't really give himself quiet moments –he often thought he was too busy to do so –but right then, he realized, he didn't have anything he'd rather be doing. He felt the need to bounce his leg –not knowing exactly why he was so anxious –yet, despite that sense of time passing inexorably, there was also, he recognized, a little pleasure in just taking in the sunlight and the fresh air. Woody sighed, wondering when was the last time he gave himself a rest. For Bo Peep, this was surely normal; she was used to being stuck to one place, unable to move for long stretches of time. And, nonetheless, Bo Peep seemed to really enjoy sitting there, by his side. Was it because of the natural light? Was it because of the pretty view?

"Are you happy, now, that you've got to meet everyone?" Woody asked, unsure of why he wanted to break the silence so urgently.

"Yes, they really are all –well, most of them –really welcoming," said Bo Peep. "And they are all so careful around me, and nice, and kind… I feel right at home here. I wish I could have come down the dresser earlier."

"I guess you're not feeling so lonesome anymore."

"You'd be guessing right," said Bo Peep with a bright smile. "Sure, loneliness is kind of a thing of the past. Though… When we talked that first time, you told me you're afraid of something similar to loneliness. You said you were afraid Andy outgrows you," Bo Peep wasn't smiling anymore. "And now… Now I fear… After all, I'm just a part of a baby lamp: when Molly grows up, she won't want me by her side anymore…"

Woody gulped. He definitely didn't mean to infect her with his own fears. Nonetheless, hers seemed quite realistic –after all, both Davy and Jenny had disposed of their old furniture and appliances as soon as they became teenagers. Perhaps she could be kept in the attic, like he had been, with all the other toys, until Andy or Molly had their own children. That could be nice, he thought, for Bo Peep to be by his side during the years they'd be in storage –even in the dusty, unsettling dark. It would undeniably be better than not having her around.

"… You told me you'd be my companion, that time we talked," said Bo Peep, bringing him back to the conversation. "Remember?"

"Yes, I did… But you didn't call it that."

"No?" she asked with a frown. "Then what did I call it?"

"You… You had said partner," said Woody.

"Oh… Right."

"Surely you probably meant it like…" Woody reached for the plastic ring on his back, pulled from it and his voicebox exclaimed Giddy-up partner!, as they both chuckled. "Y'know, in that sense of the word… Like an associate, a colleague, a… a partner!"

Bo Peep smiled. "No, I don't think I meant it like that."

Woody smiled too, but then looked down at his hands. Bo scooted a bit to get closer to him.

"I don't care if Potato Head doesn't like me," said Bo Peep. "But I do care if you like me. Even if I can't help teasing you from time to time."

"I do like you—"

Bo Peep turned to look at him. A few seconds had to pass before Woody could do the same, and even then he couldn't seem to look at her straight in the eye for more than a brief moment. She sighed.

"And yet you still seem insecure about it…"

"It's… Look, Bo, it's just that…" He had never called her just Bo before. She didn't seem to mind. "I'm not really knowledgeable in… The whole…" Woody gestured vaguely with his hands. "The whole… partner thing, if I'm bein' honest."

"D'you think I know anything about it?" asked Bo.

"Well, I don't know," said Woody. "But you're a lady, I reckon you do know something…"

"I have to confess I don't know anything about this, either," Bo admitted. "Just what I could learn from playtime…"

"Well…" said Woody with a shrug. "That's as good a place to start as any, I guess."

They both looked again through the window. Between the trees there were a bunch of blue birds, perched on the power lines, all singing and hopping and fluffing their feathers. Woody gazed at Bo. Under the sunlight, her smooth skin seemed to glow ever so slightly. Her pink lips curled into a smile, as, without even looking, she knew herself being watched.

Bo slowly leaned her head toward him. "Is it okay by you, if I…?"

"Yes –of course."

Bo then let her head rest on his shoulder. Her bonnet was a bit cumbersome, but not even a bit enough to make him want her off him. Woody then gently leaned his own head against hers, hoping his head wasn't too heavy. He remembered when he watched Barbara Ann and Felicity by the windowsill, sitting side by side –in a position not very unlike that one.

"May I…?"

"Sure."

He reached for her small pale hand. She usually felt cool to the touch –porcelain was like that –but after being under the sunlight for a while, Bo's skin was surprisingly warm. Woody felt her other arm surrounding his waist –and holding him close.

"You're quite soft…" she said, snuggling him.

Woody, feeling much less nervous since everything seemed to be going just swell, dared to put his hand on her waist as well –and was not surprised at all to notice it was hard and firm under the smooth fabric of her dress.

They stayed like that for a while, by the light that came from the window. It was so peaceful, and it almost seemed like if time had become completely still. For a moment Woody wondered if she had fallen asleep –when Bo turned to face him, accidentally hitting his nose with the edge of her bonnet.

"Oh –sorry…"

They both laughed it off. Woody now managed to gaze directly at her without feeling the need to look away –without that initial embarrassment –and he almost managed to see himself reflected in her shiny eyes. Bo looked up at him, still glowing, and slowly, knowingly, she smiled.

"Kiss me, sheriff."

Woody leaned forward, into the shadow of the bonnet, and kissed her. Bo wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her, bringing him even closer.

Suddenly there was whistling and whooping –both pulled back, both with their respective hats askew. Hamm, Mr Potato Head, Robot, Snake, Etch-A-Sketch –almost everyone, really, even Slinky –were watching them and laughing.

"What'd I say?" exclaimed Mr Potato Head. "I knew it."

To Woody's delighted surprise, Bo Peep blew them a raspberry. The guys laughed even louder. She then turned to Woody, who was still a bit dazed from that first kiss.

"You all right, Woody?" she asked him.

"Yeah…" he nodded as he rubbed his forehead. "…Was that good enough for someone who's not really knowledgeable?"

Bo narrowed her eyes, reaching for his cowboy hat. "Hm… I'm not sure yet."

She took off his hat and used it to shield their faces from the unwanted looks, as she kissed him, and he embraced her, holding her just tight enough as to not cause a crack. Despite the guys' racket, Woody allowed himself to enjoy the moment, and they both took their time to do so.

"Eh, I give 'em a week," said Hamm, walking away from the scene.

"I give 'em four days!" said Mr Potato Head. "What're you willing to bet?"

"What about the penny you found under the bed that other day?"

"Done!"

And with that sunlit incident by the window, Woody and Bo Peep became officially a couple. Nothing did change too much –both agreed that they had to keep it as less inconvenient as possible, for the sake of the cohesion and order of the room. They also couldn't arrange any nightly meeting –of course they couldn't, with Woody having to stay with Andy in his bed and Bo needing to stay on Molly's lamp to comfort her and ease her sleep.

This, however, did not mean that they couldn't find some moments to devote just to each other: between the legs of the desk and the bottom of the baby dresser, behind Andy's little teepee-patterned trashcan, they could meet in private and undisturbed. They usually didn't have much time; after all, each held their own responsibilities –but it was a nice change of pace, to have the other all to themselves.

"I told you I knew you liked Miss Bo Peep," said Slinky, when Woody would come out of the shadows from under the desk, straightening his neckerchief and with a rather dopey expression.

"Staff meeting, Slink," he said simply, while Slinky chuckled.

The honeymoon period proved to last much longer than what anyone else had expected. Mr Potato Head lost his lucky penny to Hamm, and Woody and Bo stayed together for the entire week –and then the second one –and then a whole month passed –and they were still as lovesick as they were that first morning by the window.

At the beginning of the relationship, Woody had worried a bit that they'd continue to be taunted by the other toys. Bo, as she had told him, didn't care much about the talking, but he did, and she knew it. Fortunately again, most of them lost interest in that particular aspect of him in due time, and soon found another thing to joke about: his supposedly excessive excitement to join Andy on his first trip to cowboy camp. Andy barely talked about anything else, and so Woody followed his kid's example. By that time Bo Peep had been in Andy's room for four months, and she had been integrated among the other toys in such a way as if she had always been there. So it was expected –though not without a bit of grumbling about favoritism –that Woody would leave his girlfriend in charge while he was away.

"You sure you can take care of everything while I'm away?" Woody asked Bo.

"Sure," she said with a scoff. "After all, if Andy's gone –how difficult can it be?"

"Molly's still here –and now the nanny's gonna come, since Mom's going back to work –so everyone has to be extra careful about staying by their spots, and making sure no one has any loose parts Molly may grab and swallow, and—"

"I know, Woody, I know…" she said with a tired sigh. "I'm fully aware of how babies work, honey."

"Yeah. Yes, I know. I know. Yes. Yeah, you're right –you know –I know…" Woody took a deep breath. "Alright, then. So… You sure everything's in order?"

"Go ahead and have a grand ol' time," she instructed, looking straight at him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "And if you gotta worry then worry about having fun, not about us back home."

"Alright, alright," Woody smiled. "Hey… It's just a few days, but still… I think I'm gonna miss you."

"You better," said Bo with a glare. Woody laughed.

"Will you miss me?"

Bo Peep huffed, straightening his hat and his golden badge. "Come back in one piece, sheriff," she said quietly. "So then I can properly welcome you back."

Woody smiled at her. Bo Peep smirked back at him. He tipped his hat as a last goodbye, walked a few steps –and, just as he had expected, she pulled him back to her with her crook, bringing him in for a kiss.

He laughed. "I was just thinkin' I was forgetting something—"

"Hey, bud!" said Dad's voice from across the hall. "You ready for cowboy camp?"

"Yeah!"

Andy ran to his bedroom, grabbed Woody with one hand and his backpack on the other, and rushed downstairs.

That first year, when the children were so young, it was encouraged that a parent stayed with their kid for the first two days, in order to ease the separation. So Dad taught Andy how to make bonfires, how to fish (which the boy didn't like at all, despite his father's enthusiasm), how to track footprints on the dirt, how to use a slingshot and a compass, and all sorts of other outdoorsy things. At night the kids and their parents gathered together to tell horror stories by the fire (Dad knew several, and he was quite a good storyteller), and to point at the constellations in the sky; the mother of a girl Andy had become friends with was an astronomer, and knew the histories each one had. Woody, hanging on inside Andy's open backpack, saw the clear sky –the hundreds of hundreds of bright stars, looking like he had never seen them before from a window. The sky was so enormous Woody thought that if he stared at it too long he would be engulfed by it. He thought of what Bo had said –how big, how beautiful, how terrifying, how wonderful the world was, outside that room.

Dad soon left Andy to have fun with his new friends; they were encouraged to always have their backpacks at hand, so Woody was always just a zip away from his kid. Often Andy opened his backpack just a smidge, so Woody could see the surroundings. It felt like truly being with him –like if Woody was another kid at the camp –instead of being his cowboy toy. And despite a few instances –like when Andy was too anxious to get the marshmallows for his s'mores ready and almost burned his fingers, or when Andy got briefly separated from the group and panicked as he found himself more and more lost –of when Woody did find himself worrying, he did, just as he promised Bo, had a grand ol' time, and managed not to worry too much about matters back at home.

Andy returned happier than ever, with the addresses of his new friends soon to become pen pals. He told everything he had done to Mom during dinner, so enthusiastically that both she and Dad had to promise him that he could also go next year. They also said they would consider going on a camping trip for the summer holidays, now that Andy was such a well versed, worldly wildlife explorer. Andy was so overjoyed by this news that he even played with Molly, and kissed her chubby cheek before going to sleep, and generally seemed to like his little sister better than before.

That happiness wouldn't last very long, though. Something happened –something that nobody, neither human nor toy, could have expected.

It happened one rainy Friday evening; Andy was home from school, and Mom was making the dinner while Molly watched cartoons. It was getting late, and Dad wasn't arriving. Andy didn't really realize –he was too busy playing –but Woody noticed, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Mom had called his office, asking if he was still there, but they said he wasn't –and so she waited a bit more, and went with Molly to watch TV. Sometimes Dad came home late, but never so much to miss dinnertime. Around that hour, when Andy was getting hungry and started noticing something unusual, the phone rang. Mom took the call –Andy had left his toys upstairs, and was going down the stairs to ask her when they were gonna eat –and then there was a silence.

"What's happening down there?" asked Slinky.

"I don't know…" said Woody quietly. "I can't hear anything."

There was another calling, and in a matter of minutes Grandma Lillian was home. The toys saw Mom's car leaving in the rain, and then the sound of silverware during the silent dinner from which Mom was now absent too.

"What's Grandma doing here?" asked Rex. "Is it Christmas already?"

"No, idiot," said Hamm. "Mom had to go somewhere urgently –she wouldn't call Grandma at this hour if it weren't urgent."

"Urgent?"

"What do you think it is, Woody?" asked Bo.

"I –I don't know –I have no way of knowing," said Woody, a bit anxiously. "Could be anything…"

There was a roar of thunder. The sheriff gulped. Something was definitely wrong.

It was late, and neither Mom nor Dad were home yet. Grandma, carrying baby Molly on her arms, followed Andy to his room.

"You gotta brush your teeth before going to bed," said Grandma.

"But I—"

"There's no but, go and change into your pajamas," she ordered.

Andy sighed, but he went to the bathroom. Grandma sat on the desk chair, holding Molly close. Molly grabbed Grandma's necklace, pulling it in her little fists. Grandma chuckled. She didn't look happy at all.

"Yes, you're such a pretty girl… Yes, yes…" Grandma told her in her own baby voice. Woody remembered how she used to babble similar things to Jenny, when she was a baby. "A very sleepy little girl…"

Molly was yawning, but then Andy came and turned on the ceiling lights. The baby blinked, startled, and began to cry and shriek.

"Aw –Andy!"

"I'm sorry…!"

He turned off the light, turned on his nightstand lamp, and sat on the bed. He watched Grandma trying to rock Molly back to sleep, shushing her, but Molly just shrieked higher.

"Maybe that light bothers her too," said Grandma, turning on Bo's soft lamp. Andy turned off his. Grandma tried to redirect Molly's attention. "Look, Molly! Look at the pretty shepherdess!"

"Molly likes the lamp's little lights –it makes some music too if you push the button twice…"

Andy did so. Molly continued crying for a little while, but the twinkling lights calmed her. Grandma hummed a little song –a lullaby –the same Mom and Dad sang to Molly, and which they had sung to Andy when he was a baby. He also hummed quietly, and their two voices managed to get Molly yawning again, and soon she was soundly asleep. Grandma put her into the crib, and tucked her lovingly. Andy, meanwhile, watched her cautiously, with his eyes wide open.

"Thanks, Andy," said Grandma in a whisper. "Oh, look at the hour… It's really late. You should get some sleep, too."

"When's Mom and Dad coming back?" he asked.

Grandma looked at him for a moment –reached for her necklace, simply to fidget with it –and forced a smile.

"Soon, dear. They'll be home soon."

Andy wasn't satisfied with that answer, but Grandma left his room, so he got into bed, holding onto Woody.

"Reckon everything's alright, Woody?"

But he didn't have any answers neither.

When the morning came, with a beautiful blue sky, Andy woke up rather late. He had been awake for most of the night, and by the time he got up it was somewhere around eleven o'clock. He picked Woody up and, in his pajamas, yawned and got out of bed, to find Molly's crib empty.

Andy went downstairs to have breakfast. He then heard a quiet sob –and Grandma appeared by the staircase, with Molly in her arms. She was forcing another one of those fake smiles.

"How did you sleep, dear?"

"Are Mom and Dad home already?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Mom's here, but—"

Mom was there, indeed, standing up next to the dinner table. There were a bunch of papers on it, a mug of tea and a box of tissues. There was no breakfast, and Dad wasn't there. Andy frowned.

"What's happening?"

Mom tried to smile too, a creepy grin, even faker than Grandma's. Her eyes were all red and watery. She didn't seem able to speak.

"I'll make you breakfast, dear –okay?" said Grandma. "Come –and help me with Molly for a minute, will you?"

He followed her to the kitchen. Woody was already thinking several possibilities of what was going on –none of them good. But then again, he tried to keep in mind, he was usually prone to think of the worst. Perhaps Dad had been in an accident, and had broken a few bones. Surely everything was alright. No matter that nobody seemed to want to give Andy a straight answer.

"Why's Mom looking worried?" asked Andy. He was not giving up. "Why isn't Dad home yet?"

"Here, dear, have some milk. I'm going to make you sandwich –is that alright?"

"… Okay," Andy left Woody on the chair, and drank some. "… What's going on?"

Grandma closed her hands into fists. She said nothing for a while, as she prepared the sandwich.

"Why's nobody answering me!?" demanded Andy.

"It's… it's complicated, dear…" said Grandma, her eyes fixed on the sandwich. "Here you go. I'll take Molly upstairs and play with her a little while –you stay here with your mother, yes, Andy?"

"But—"

"She'll tell you," said Grandma hurriedly, picking Molly back up, and leaving the kitchen. "She asked me to let her tell you."

Grandma nearly escaped the room to go upstairs. Andy put his milk glass on his dish, held it in one hand and Woody on the other. He walked into the dining room and sat next to Mom. She was staring at the papers, breathing through her mouth. She still had tears in her eyes.

"Mom…? Are you alright?"

"Something bad has happened, Andy," she said, and raised her gaze to him. "It's… It's just bad, dear, and I don't really know how to tell you this."

Andy took a bite of his sandwich. Mom waited for him to swallow it. She then grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze. She took a deep breath.

"Dad won't be coming home, dear. Last night, there was an accident. His car crashed. And… He died."

"But –where is he?" asked Andy.

Mom rubbed her eyelids. "He's… He was at the hospital last night, but now…These sort of things are very…"

"Where is Dad?" Andy insisted. "Is he at the hospital? When can we go?"

"No –not now –we can't go and see him…"

"Then when?"

"Dad is dead, Andy, and we won't be able to see him again," said Mom bluntly. Her voice was cracking. "He died immediately –he wasn't in pain or anything… Last night I went to the hospital, but they told me –there was nothing to be done –it was immediate –and they…"

Andy frowned. He squeezed his mother's hand.

"What do you mean, we won't be able to see him again?"

Mom took another deep breath. She swallowed, trying to order her thoughts. "When someone dies, Andy, their body no longer works. Their head, their heart, nothing works anymore… You know when I tried to plant those roses, last year, on the front yard? Remember you helped me?" she asked him. Andy nodded. "You remember that, when I bought them, they were all pretty and blossoming…? Remember when you got pricked by a thorn?" Andy nodded again. "Well… Remember when it was summer, and the roses all dried up?"

"Yes –the flowers were all wrinkly and brown…"

"Well –that plant died. That happens, sometimes. Sometimes things don't work out or there's a problem and something happens –and things, well… They die. Everything dies, some day. Dad was meant to live longer –but an accident happened… So he died."

Andy thought about this for a moment. Mom waited, in silence, still holding his hand. He hadn't let go yet. "What happens if you die?" he asked.

Mom sighed and smiled. It was a sad smile, but it was real. "That won't happen any time soon, dear. You don't have to worry about it."

"But you said everything dies," said Andy. "You will die, too?"

"Yes…" said Mom, and bit her lip. "If it happened, then Grandma would take care of you and Molly."

"And if Grandma died?"

"… I don't know, Andy…"

"And if I died?"

"You're not going to die anytime soon, my dear, please –you don't have to worry about that," said Mom. "You're alright. We're alright."

"Except Dad," he said, quietly. "He died. So we won't see him again…"

Mom leaned over him and kissed Andy's head –not one of her goodnight kisses, but a longer one, a tense one. "It's okay if you're sad, or angry… It's normal to feel that way."

Andy looked up at Mom. She brought him closer for a hug. He didn't hug back –he just let himself be squeezed and embraced.

"If you need anything, dear, if you want to ask me anything… Just do, okay?" said Mom. "Grandma will be staying for a few days to help me around."

"Alright."

Andy, gripping Woody's little plastic hand, went up the stairs and back to his room. He sat on the bed, still in his pajamas, and looked out the window –to the side of the house, where the cars usually were. There was only Mom's car there. And it was such a beautiful day…

The day passed by, quietly, only interrupted by Molly's crying. Dinner was silent. Mom asked Andy something along if he wanted to talk about something, but he just shook his head. He had sat Woody on the chair next to him. He didn't let go of him, even for a second.

When night came and Andy went to bed, all the toys assembled next to it.

"Psst! Woody!" called Slinky. "What happened?"

"What's going on?"

"Why's Andy so quiet?"

Bo Peep tried to see anything, but Woody was completely still, held tightly by Andy. She could only see the tip of his hat, still on his head.

"Woody?" No answer. Bo turned to Rocky. "Please, help me up."

He nodded, held her legs as carefully as he could, and raised her as high as his beefy arms could stretch. Bo grabbed the end of the footboard with her crook, and propped her up and forwards, off Rocky's hands. She managed to climb the sheets and carefully walk on the lumpy surface.

"Woody, honey?" she said quietly, stroking his shoulder. Woody turned away. "What's wrong?"

For a moment it seemed he wouldn't answer. He was completely still, with his back to her.

"He's dead."

"Dead?"

"Andy's Dad. He died," said Woody in a small, tired voice. "Tell Slinky… You and him, both of you. You're leaders of the room now."

"Woody, that's your—"

But he covered himself further with the sheets, and the conversation was over.

The next days were all about Slinky and Bo Peep solving mundane issues like Mr Potato Head's latest missing piece, Robot's need to change batteries, and give staff meetings with the latest news. When they announced that Dad had died, most of the toys were properly shocked but mostly confused, and some –like Rex, of course –were pretty terrified.

"Does that mean Andy won't play with us again?"

"Is Andy sick?"

"Can't they bring Dad back?

"Why would Dad die?"

"How long will this last?

And, those next days, Woody wouldn't talk to anyone. He couldn't, really, as Andy never let him out of his sight. He ate with him, sat on the yard with him, watched TV with him, and even went to the toilet while holding his plastic hand. At night, the only moment Andy wasn't awake to notice him gone, Woody stayed with him and let himself be held even closer. He did the same Davy did when he was worried or anxious –he needed something soft to squeeze or to hold. So Woody never left his post.

When, a few weeks later, Andy would start playing again and slowly detaching himself from Woody, even going downstairs for lunch without him, was when he had to be back to the rodeo. In his first staff meeting after relinquishing the authority to Slinky and Bo, he took the microphone and cleared his throat.

"Well, as you may have all noticed, I had to take some time –so first of all, let's give a round of applause to Slinky and Bo Peep, whose help was invaluable during these hard times."

Everyone clapped, rather disconcertedly.

"Okay! Now, I hope all this whole affair didn't take us all off our rhythm. I've noticed that the Volunteer Fire Department has now been officially handed over to Molly by Andy, so that's another reason to show our respects to them. We all have to keep in mind that, as Andy's previous toys, any of us could be handed over to the baby, especially when she becomes older and starts walking, and teething, and… And all those other things babies do. It's also good to see Bobo among us, apparently still in good shape after being subjected to Molly's latest temper tantrums; and…" He checked his doodle pad. "Ah, yes, Mr See-'N-Spell apparently has been forgotten during the last battery raid –he's still good, nobody needs to worry just yet. He's being used almost daily, though, so we need to take precautions and make sure he has batteries available in case something happens. As we say…"

"Accidents can't happen, if one's aware enough," everyone said along him. Woody nodded.

Bo and Slinky exchanged a worried look.

"Are you done, Woody?" asked Hamm.

"Um, yes. Any questions?" he asked. "No? Well then, meeting adjourned."

"Oh! Me, me! I have a question…" said Rex, raising his short little arm.

"Alright, Rex, what is it?"

"Um… Why haven't you been talking to us lately?" he asked nervously. "Do you… do you hate us, now?"

Woody scoffed. "What? No, of course not! I was with Andy –he needed me close by, that's why I couldn't answer you all. You guys know that, don't you?"

There was a general uncertain mumble. Woody smiled and chuckled, as if the whole thing were absolutely ridiculous.

"Come on, everyone… It was just a minor setback. Everything's just fine. Now, let's be there for Andy, alright?"

The toys mumbled something in agreement, then went back to their usual spots. Bo Peep and Slinky exchanged a few words, and finally Bo went to Woody, followed by her sheep.

"Oh –hi, Bo," he said, straightening his hat. "How was that meeting?"

"It was fine," she said. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Are you sure—?"

"Tell me, how were the meetings when you and Slinky were in charge?" Woody asked, interrupting her. "Were there any problems, any issues…?"

"No, everything went smoothly –but really, Woody, if there's something that worries you…"

"There's nothing worrying me!" he exclaimed. "Bo, I already said, I'm alright. Why do you keep asking?"

"Because you've stopped talking to us for days," Bo replied. "That's not like you at all."

"I've already told all of you, it's because Andy needed me!" he said, now angrier. "That's it, that's all. Jeez, don't keep worrying for nothing…"

And just like that Woody walked away. Bo Peep was about to crook him back into the discussion, but she knew that wouldn't help –he clearly wasn't in the mood –that would only anger him further.

"What did he say?" Slinky asked her.

"Nothing. He just insisted Andy needed him… Perhaps it was truly just that."

Slinky looked up at her. "What? You know that's not the end of it, Miss Peep. You saw him –you told us –he was distraught."

"Yes, well…" said Bo with a sigh. "Maybe he's over it."

"No, he ain't," said Slinky. "He's just pretending he is."

Bo Peep turned to Slinky with a worried look.

"I'll try to talk some sense into him," said the dog.

"And what am I to do?" Bo asked him.

"Just… We've to be there for him."

Woody continued with his role as the leader of the room though, even despite his best efforts to hide it, it was clear something was off. Criticism was quickly shot down, he became even more anxious –trying to get things done as quick as possible –became even more engrossed in his job as the leader of the room–which translated into bossing everyone around –didn't want to talk to anyone and turned even more irascible and sensitive to Potato Head's taunting.

As the weeks passed Woody slowly calmed down and, after a conversation with Bo, gave an open apology to everyone he had been pestering. He promised to do better, to accept criticism, and to stop being such a despot. The cowboy did mean everything he said –but the relationship with the toys wasn't that easily mended; it took a few more days for him to be completely forgiven –through, among other things, friendlier approaching to the others, a generally better disposition, and most of all less orders and thorough planning. Things did seem to go back to normal.

It was dark already and, while Andy and Molly were sleeping, Woody noticed that Bo's lamp wasn't the only one lighting the house. Across the hall there was the dim glow of Mom and Dad's room, where Mom was still awake. There was a soft sobbing. Woody didn't want to leave Andy –he was asleep, but that wasn't reason enough to leave his post –but in the end the sobbing was too much for him to bear. He slipped away from Andy's grasp, carefully, trying not to wake him up or disturb his sleep.

When he got away, he climbed down the bed and out the half-opened door, hoping Bo hadn't noticed him. He had to be sneaky. The parents' room was quiet, messy –cluttered with papers and notebooks. There was the constant ticking of a clock. Mom was sitting, in her pajamas, on the edge of the bed. She had her reading glasses on, and on her lap had a handful of papers –why did someone's death require so many papers?, wondered Woody –and was looking at them; not reading, just staring. The cowboy slowly walked just inside the room, hiding himself in the shadows of the bookshelves. Woody had to find a place where to lay down, not too close to her but also not too far –just enough for Jenny to notice him.

Mom took a deep breath and raised her eyes to the ceiling. She took off her reading glasses and left them on her nightstand –along with a folder, where she put the papers she had been holding –and then, when she stood up to pull the sheets to the side and get into bed, Jenny saw him –Woody, left on the hall, just outside the bedroom door. Mom sighed and went to pick it up.

"Goddamit, Andy…"

She held the toy in her hand. Woody could feel the coolness of the wedding ring on his back. Mom gazed at him for a few seconds, and returned to sit on the edge of the bed. She smiled a bit. She straightened his hat, turned him around and pulled the string –You're my favorite deputy!

Jenny let out a small laugh.

"Tell me, sheriff, have you caught that Barlow bandit yet?"

Her eyes were wet again. She sniffed.

"Calamity Jenny would never be seen crying…" said Jenny, quietly. She smiled a bit more. "Think we could make an exception?"

She lowered Woody, and still holding him, squeezing him in her hands, she left him on her lap. Jenny then cried openly, tears streaming down her cheeks, dropping onto her pajamas, onto Woody's ragdoll body. It was still a strain –Mom couldn't make a noise, she couldn't wake up her children –and so she breathed in and out, as best as she could, despite the impulse to scream and wail, despite the tears and the snot and the anger and the grief, until she managed to calm herself down. She exhaled.

Mom then went to Andy's room, wiping her eyes, biting her lips. She left Woody next to Andy, in his bed, and kissed her sleeping son's head before returning to her room, and turning the light off.

Slinky was the only one who saw this. And Woody had seen him –peering from under the sheets, beneath the bed. After that little stunt Woody just wanted to stay with Andy and get some rest, but even as he trusted Slinky he wouldn't stop thinking about the possibility he told the other of what he'd just done. So he, once more, slipped out of Andy's grasp and jumped down the bed.

"Hey… Hey, Slink!" he whispered. "Where are you?"

"Here," said a voice in the dark.

"How much did you see?"

"I heard Mom crying," said Slinky. "And I saw you coming back in her hand."

"You shouldn't have seen that," said Woody.

"Mom's very sad," continued Slinky. "She tries not to show it in front of Andy, but I know. I can see it."

There was a silence. In the dark, silences were somehow deeper –heavier –there was nothing to focus on, besides oneself.

"… I'm sorry Billy died."

Woody huffed. "Can't you all just stop it? I'm fine! I am!"

"Then why're you like this?"

"Like this how?"

"So… Bitter."

"Drop it, Slinky," said Woody, turning around to leave. "This doesn't concern you."

"Sure it does!" said Slinky. "I knew Billy too!"

"Yes, but –you weren't his toy!"

There was another silence.

"… Neither were you, Woody."

"He played with me. I could feel it –I don't know how to say it –but I felt he loved me," said Woody. Perhaps 'loved' was too strong a word, but he didn't care –that is how it had felt. "And… When he and Andy played together, it was like being back to that time."

"It's alright if you're sad."

"I'm not sad," said Woody, lying. "I'm angry –Andy loved his father –he shouldn't have died so young."

"There's nothing we can do about it."

"I know…"

"Then why're you so angry?"

"Because I am! Just let me be angry!"

"We've left you alone for weeks!" cried Slinky. "We just want to help you!"

"You can't! Alright?" said Woody. "You just can't. Not you, not Bo, not… Not anyone, because none of you know how this feels."

"I don't need to know how it feels to want to help you," said Slinky. "If you so want to be left alone, then I'll do it. But…" The dog sighed. "I don't know what you're going through, but I do know that, when I was all by my lonesome there in the attic, and put away in a box, I wished I'd someone by my side. Someone I could talk to. Maybe I'm wrong –maybe it's not the same for everybody –but… I do remember how happy you were when you found me."

Woody kept quiet. He remembered it too. In that all-consuming dark, it was easy to remember the attic –and how everything that could distract him felt like a blessing.

"You don't need to tell me anything, Woody," said Slinky. "I just wanted you to keep in mind that we can help you, that you're not as alone as you think you are… And that it's alright if you're sad."

"I'm not sad," insisted Woody. "I'm just tired… I gotta go back to Andy now. Can you promise you'll tell nothing about this to the guys?"

"… I promise."

"Good. Now, goodnight."

"… Goodnight, Woody."

Woody got from under the bed and climbed back on top of it. He huddled against Andy, who, still asleep, reached for him and held him closer.

Andy went back to school the following week. He had asked Mom if he'd be able to take Woody with him, but she forbade it –explaining that, even with his name written under the cowboy's boot, if he took him away from home there was always the chance of him getting lost. Andy didn't argue with that –he left Woody on his pillow, and went down the stairs.

In the meantime in which Andy was in school, there were several instances in which there really was nothing to do. After Woody's period of excessive planning of safety precautions, rescue missions and carefully organized safeguards, most of the toys in Andy's room were happy to have some time to themselves. While often the toys got into all sorts of shenanigans and problems, there were several hours in which things were pretty quiet.

Woody and Slinky, on their part, were having their checkers game, but Woody couldn't focus. Slinky won again and again, though it wasn't particularly exciting if the opponent didn't even appear to be trying.

"Another round?" asked Slinky.

"Nah, it's not my lucky day," said Woody. "Tomorrow, maybe."

Slinky nodded, and put away the checkers board. Woody stood and walked around, supervising the other toy's activities, with no real direction. Up on the bookshelf, Potato Head and Hamm were playing cards. The bucket soldiers, just beside the nightstand, were playing a particularly crowded game of charades. Robot was holding an open book, narrating the story to Snake, who couldn't read. Everyone was on sight, except—

"Hey, Woody," called Bo, leaning on her crook.

"Oh –hey."

"You busy?"

Woody looked at her. She wasn't smiling.

"No…"

"Would you like to come along?" she suggested.

Woody didn't know where she meant, but he didn't really care much either. "Sure."

He followed her across the room, towards the desk. For a moment Woody thought that maybe she was leading him to their little place –he'd tell her he wasn't in the mood –but she was actually taking him up the desk. She climbed with her crook, even quicker than usual –she had been practicing, and now she propped herself up with little to no effort. Soon she was already up there, next to the red desk lamp. Bo Peep kneeled and stretched a hand to help Woody up from the chair. He didn't need her to do so, but he took it. Her hand was cold, as porcelain often was, and slippery as always –but Bo gripped his hand and pulled him to her.

Bo Peep sat by the window, and so did Woody, rather mystified. It wasn't a nice day; the sky was dark and cloudy, and there were no birds in sight. There was no sunlight to warm them –in fact, after a few minutes it began to rain –and the raindrops pounced violently against the windowpane, as if they wanted to pounce on them instead of the glass. Woody glanced at Bo Peep. She didn't move, she was still gazing out the window, as if nothing was happening. He wondered why in the world, just that day she had wanted to sit there and watch, when everything that was happening was so gloomy and ugly. Bo was not smiling, did not seem happy, and yet she seemed very interested in what was going on out there. Woody wondered if that was the first time Bo was so close so seeing a thunderstorm, of being wet by raindrops. As the drops raced down the glass, making speckles where light diffracted and made spotted shadows against her and him, slowly Woody began to realize what a pretty image it made. There was a flash of lightning –and then thunder –and Bo jumped, startled, and Woody laughed. She chuckled too, slightly embarrassed.

"It's alright," said Woody.

"I know."

Woody reached his hand to her. She smiled and took it, held it and gave it a little squeeze. They stayed there, watching the storm unfolding, getting darker and noisier. Bo leaned her head against Woody's shoulder. Her hand was still a little cold but it didn't matter, it was firm and smooth and it stroked Woody's hand gently, lovingly. He leaned his head against hers.

Despite the awful weather and the sudden lightning and thunder, there, by Bo's side, it was peaceful.

#toy story #toy story 4 #bo peep #woody pride #fanfiction

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