The Road to Nebraska
AN: This is my first TS fic. I wanted to do something that doesn't appear to have been considered much. I don't own Toy Story, Mary Poppins, anything from Disney/Pixar, or any other recognizable business, story, or fictional character. Simply put, I don't even own the computer I wrote this fic on. Again, thanks AppleBlossom844 for proofing and editing.
Chapter One
"Oh, Woody, wouldn't that be great?" Jessie asked. Woody put on his best smile and nodded enthusiastically. Everyone was talking at once. Woody could barely keep up. Words and voices echoed senselessly in his head. Cheered faces and bright smiles flashed in front of his eyes. Even Chuckles smiled a little smile. Someone hit Woody on the arm, he didn't know who. There were questions and answers. Everyone seemed to going light speed. Woody felt a little ill. He stood in the middle of this circus; his friends surrounded him like clowns in a tiny car. All of this ruckus began when Jessie reported seeing Bo Peep at a yard sale on Bonnie's trip back from Sunnyside. Now that the family was away grocery shopping, the toys acted on this sighting.
"How are we going to get her here?" Mr. Potatohead asked. "We just can't walk over there and buy her." Being one of the shorter toys in Bonnie's room, he stood in the front along with the Missus. Normally one for sarcasm, Potatohead instead looked at Woody with genuine concern and interest. Mrs. Potatohead beamed; ever one for happy endings.
"No." Buzz agreed. Then he smiled, "You'll think of something; won't you, Woody?" Buzz said. He stood proud and tall with his best friend, grinning like an idiot. He hit Woody's arm, perhaps for the second time. Woody could only look at him quizzically. He quickly turned his attention from Buzz.
"I suppose that it might be possible." Woody said. He didn't say it with conviction or commitment, but that was irrelevant. His friends squealed, well the girls did, everyone else puffed up with anticipation.
"Ooohh, my first major covert operation. I'll fire up the computer." Trixie said, "You'll need to know how to get there and what it looks like." The next thing Woody knew was he was being dragged off by this merry parade. Buzz, Mr. Potatohead, and Chuckles fetched Mr. Anderson's laptop from the office. Woody was made to sit front and center while Trixie stretched and tap danced over the keyboard. Everyone else stood or sat as close as possible. Fifteen minutes later, they had found the address, seen the possible routes, and the pictures from space. Buzz led the discussion on tactics and evading detection. However, neither Buzz nor anyone else could come up with a plan to get them through the yard sale safely and successfully.
"The problem," Hamm said thinking seriously, "is getting her off the table sheep, lamp and all. The rest is relatively easy."
"How is three blocks in broad daylight easy?" Dolly asked, pointing at the monitor.
"Oh we've gone further before." Rex said, "Crazy Al tried to take Woody to Japan. We drove to the airport to stop him." He trembled with nervous energy. Woody wasn't sure if it was the memories or the excitement of this new mission. He looked at the maps filling the screen.
"You drove? As in you drove a human's car?" Buttercup asked. Even his easy-going nature wouldn't believe that readily. Rex nodded.
"We drove the baggage cart back to Andy's." He added.
"I still hate that chicken." Hamm said bitterly. No one said anything for a minute. Bonnie's original toys stared. They heard some of their new friend's old stories; none of them would have ever dared a stunt like that. The danger of escaping Sid's house was immense, and that was only next door. Dolly understood now. When Woody pleaded for a short trip back to Andy's house, around the corner really wasn't far for him or any of them.
"Let's get back to the main problem; how are we going to move that lamp?" Buzz asked, breaking the brief silence.
"Bo knows how to move it." Woody said, still looking at the monitor.
"That's not the biggest problem. How do we know that she's going to be there when we get there?" Mr. Potatohead asked.
"Even if she is, she can't just run away." Mrs. Potatohead added. Everyone looked at Woody. This is where he'd come up with a brilliant, risky scheme. Truthfully, his head was blank. He stared dumbly at the keyboard for a full minute.
"Oh! Velocistar lives across the street. I know I can get him to keep watch for us." Trixie said. "Dinosaurs." She added enthusiastically.
"Great idea!" Jessie exclaimed. Her smile hadn't quit since she told everyone what she saw. Really, told wasn't the right word. She spoke at break-neck speeds, and almost screamed the critical details. Jessie had to slow down and repeat it three times before Woody understood.
"What about those of us out this rescue mission? How will we know what's going on?" Slinky asked. Chuckles nodded with the question. Everyone stopped for a moment.
"Reeelaaay." Three voices chorused.
"Oh my darlings are so smart!" Mrs. Potatohead said. She scooped them into her arms and hugged them. Her children beamed under their mother's praise.
"Yeah, Bonnie has friends in some of these houses." Dolly said, "If Velocistar can signal to the others, you guys will stay in the loop." Andy's old toys and Bonnie's original toys smiled, they could rescue Bo. They'd do it for her and for the cowboy who had single-handedly saved his friends and hundreds of others in Sunnyside. Even Chuckles believed that if anyone deserved this, Woody was that toy. Woody still looked at the monitor, only half listening to them. Buzz grasped Woody's shoulder.
"What about the table, Sheriff?" Buzz prodded. Woody shook his head and took a deep breath. He had to say something and it had to be good.
"We need Bonnie's spare change," he said pointing at Hamm. Hamm nodded. "And we need their phone number and a phone." Woody finished.
"What?" Jessie asked. Other faces echoed her question.
"Mrs., what's it, Campbell needs to be distracted long enough for us to get Bo, the sheep, and lamp off the table. If she's on the phone with say, Mr. Pricklepants, we might be able to pull that off. Since people don't like thieves much, we'll leave some change behind." Woody explained.
"Reworking Operation: Playtime. I like it, Cowboy." Buzz said. Buzz's grin grew even bigger.
"I would be honored to offer my talents. You may rely on me, Sheriff Pride." Mr. Pricklepants bowed.
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Woody said.
"All right, we have to move fast." Buzz said. The toys all jumped up and rushed to their tasks. Trixie shoved Woody out of the way, typing ferociously.
Woody looked around, there was so much to do, yet he moved as though he were filled with rocks. He still hadn't come to his senses fully. Suddenly, his face hit the floor.
"Oh I'm so happy for you!" Jessie said, somehow hugging him and pinning him down. "Soon, everyone will be where they belong." She giggled knowingly.
"Jess," Woody cautioned, "we haven't even left yet."
"I know, I know, but I can't help it." She laughed. Jessie got up and practically danced. If she were a bit more girly and human, she would have had visions of white dresses and first dances. She hauled her brother off the floor and spun him around. Woody chuckled, and looked around at his friends. He saw Trixie sink. He knew what happened.
"Oh no. No no no. Oh no." Trixie cried. Her eyes darted over the screen.
"What?" Jessie asked running over. She skidded to a stop beside Trixie.
"Velocistar said someone picked Bo Peep up and paid for her." All of their bubbling excitement died. Jessie stood breathless at the computer and almost reached out to the monitor, as though trying to catch threads of hope. Dolly, Buzz, and Slinky quickly came up behind them.
"Do we know who bought her?" Buzz asked quickly. Woody watched from the middle of the room as his friends, old and new, sat in front of the monitor. They all shared the same expression of shock.
"No. It's no one he's seen before." Trixie said; she gave a wordless cry. "She's being taken to a car with Nebraska license plates."
"Nebraska? What is in Nebraska?" Mr. Potatohead asked.
"Omaha?" Hamm offered.
"The car's driving away. What are we going to do?" Trixie asked. Panic began to take over. Toys began to offer desperate suggestions.
"Guys." Woody said. All eyes drifted to him. Woody shook his head. "It's over."
"But." Jessie began.
"No." Woody cut her off. Finality rang through the air. His friends all sank. Their dejection was palpable. Jessie couldn't look Woody in the eye and studied the floor instead. Everyone stood speechless.
"Sorry," three little peas said. Mrs. Potatohead looked like she would cry in a minute.
"Thanks, guys, for all of this. I mean it." Woody said calmly. "We win some, we lose some. You did your best, that's all you can do." Buzz and the rest of their friends looked at him as the realization set in. The computer powered down and was returned to Mr. Anderson's office. They failed. Everyone shuffled off quietly. Woody almost felt himself drowning in their sadness and pity. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face. He opened his eyes to find Jessie standing close, still not looking him in the eye.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have said anything. Now I've gone and made things worse." Woody eyed her carefully and sighed.
"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong and nothing's been made worse." He said.
"But." She started.
"I mean it." He said, cutting her off again. Jessie smiled wanly, hugged him gently, and left him alone. He didn't know what he was going to get this time. When Bo was sold away from Andy's house, Woody's friends seemed terrified to leave him alone. All he wanted was some time to think and grieve privately, but everyone wanted to talk and wanted him to talk. They practically held a memorial in Andy's room that night. If toys could cry with tears, there wouldn't have been a dry eye anywhere, except his. He had watched them cry and sob the dry sobs that only they could have. It was surreal. They each at some point privately pulled him aside and told him that it was alright to talk to them and or cry, even Sarg.
Those first few days were horrible, just when he thought he take breath without a companion, one would appear out of nowhere. Soon their vigils were too much for them and they got back to the business of being Andy's toys. For the record, he did cry and grieve. He asked the stupid questions that those afflicted ask. Being a toy in which sorrow quickly manifests itself as anger, he didn't want to take it out on anyone who didn't deserve it. One midnight he found his way to the basement and indulged his temper. His hands hurt the next morning, but he felt better. It would always hurt, like the loss of Andy's dad, Wes, but he learned to live without Wes and learned to live without her. There were simply some things he wanted to keep to himself.
Now, would he have to go through that all over again? He hoped not. New toys who had never met Bo were saddened and grieving her memory. At least the memories they heard of. He didn't know how he would comfort them.
Presently, however, Woody's friends allowed him some space. He found a quiet space on the floor and brought out Bonnie's playing cards. They were pink and covered with smiling pixies. He laid out a game of solitaire. Woody didn't know how many games he played, he lost most of them. However, he was the only one who noticed that Anderson's car pulling into the drive way.
"Guys, guys. Bonnie's home. Places." He urged. The little girl would come running in any moment. There was no flurry of movement, no excitement. Everyone, of course, moved to their place and got ready, but there was no heart in it. Woody opened his mouth to scold them when he heard Bonnie's feet race over the floor. He dashed for his place and collapsed into his pose, ready for the evening.
Bonnie's brown head burst through the door. She grinned so widely that even the sun seemed to dim.
"Did you miss me? I missed you. Were you good while I was gone?" She asked them. Bonnie picked up Dolly. "Good. Since you were so good, we're going to have a party." She announced.
Try as they might, Woody's friends could not truly immerse themselves in the game that Bonnie played. Their spirits leaked into the game and into Bonnie's imagination. The game quickly broke down. There were no ghosts, and not even an enchanted bakery provided the cake. Woody threw himself into the game, trying to salvage the little girl's efforts. Bonnie still played, still had fun, but it wasn't the magical event that playtime with Bonnie usually was. Time crawled until Mrs. Anderson called Bonnie out to dinner. Woody sat up.
"Alright, guys, we're having a staff meeting right now." He said firmly. "Slink, gather everyone up."
Slinky helped arrange the others into a semi-circle. Silence filled the room. Everyone knew what this meeting was about, but no one argued. When everyone had a good place to sit or stand, Woody began.
"Ok, so we've had a rough day. It's hard to switch gears, I know that, but we didn't do our job tonight. We're here for Bonnie, not for me. So, when Bonnie comes back, we have to remember what is important. Let's give her our all." He said.
"Woody's right," Buzz said. "We got distracted. So, who's ready to party with Bonnie?"
"Maybe a certain evil witch will crash the party." Dolly said with a sly smile. Cheer began to bloom in the faces of Bonnie's toys. Woody nodded.
"Good, that's the spirit we're looking for." He approved.
Bonnie returned after chocolate ice cream. The party swung into high gear. Jessie brought "Cowboy Ice Cream." There was dancing and games, and a certain evil witch did crash the party, but took the night off and was nice. Three aliens invaded Earth to take over "America's Bakery," but Buzz Lightyear suggested they come over for barbecue instead. Bonnie reveled in the game, and after her bath, went peacefully to bed.
Woody lay awake in the long line of Bonnie's toys, all of them sleeping. The moon shone brightly. He crept out of the bed and climbed Bonnie's short, white bookcase. He took a deep breath and let the events of the day to wash over him. It was no joke, it had been a rough day, and promised to be a rough night.