Author Notes: I have been thinking for a LONG time about doing a story based around Toss The Feathers (a beautiful Celtic instrumental), however originally just for my O/C Rochelle, based on her dancing ability. With the band members, I was able to add in the little bit of extra music the instrumental requires. After thinking on it more, I reasoned why shouldn't Jessie be able to play a violin/fiddle? Woody can play banjo in the Roundup cartoons, after all! As for Buzz being all jealous of Blaine giving Jessie the violin and spending time with her? That just kind of found its way in there.

Also Rochelle, Blaine, Summer and Teresa are my own O/C's from my previous writings.


Jessie was in one of her moods.

Woody didn't know how to best approach the situation without setting the cowgirl off. It had all started that morning, with the arrival of a package for Amber.

Amber had run into the room squealing in glee as soon as she found the parcel waiting for her. She had pulled the doll sized stage and its accompanying dolls from her bookcase onto the floor, putting the brown wrapped object beside them as she tore it open with gusto. The contents, able to be seen by the curious toys around the room were pulled into view, and Amber took great delight for the next couple of hours in poring over what she deemed "new accessories", before her mother called her for lunch. She had left the package on the floor, the new pieces for her band set strewn haphazardly everywhere.

Jessie huffed from her place on the bed beside Woody, and he turned to look at her once more. The cowgirl wore a frown over her usually happy face, her arms folded as she scowled.

"Jessie?" Woody decided to approach with caution.

"What?" The redhead snapped, glowering in the direction of the floor where Rochelle and the other band members had come to life.

"What's the matter?" Woody asked, treading lightly while wanting also to work out the issue.

"How come they get new accessories?" Jessie lifted her chin towards the toys on the floor. When Woody remained silent, she continued.

"Everyone has something they can use! Buzz has all those fancy buttons and his wings, Mr and Mrs Potatohead have the detachable limbs, even Dolly comes with a set of dresses she never wears." The cowgirl sighed. "All I have is a hat and a stupid pullstring."

"You have Bullseye too," Woody reminded her, and Jessie rolled her eyes.

"Please Woody. He's your horse. Not mine. Even if I wanted to pretend he belonged to me, I couldn't. The cartoons paint him as strictly belonging to you."

Woody fell silent again, watching Rochelle pick up a brand new microphone from the floor and hook it into her belt loop.

"Maybe the contents aren't all for the band?" He suggested. "Maybe Amber ordered other things too. She could have gotten so excited about playing with the band stuff that she forgot about the rest."

Jessie threw her brother a little glance. "You think so?"

He wasn't totally convinced himself, but anything to bring Jessie out of her funk. "Pretty sure." He assured her. "Why don't we go and look? It can't hurt."

"Fine." Jessie got to her feet. "But if there's nothing in that box for me, I get to tell everyone how stupid you looked when you played Roundup at Al's apartment and used the polystyrene for critters."


"Hey Jessie, Woody," Rochelle greeted the twosome as they joined the others on the floor.

"Hey Rochelle," Woody returned, but Jessie didn't reply, walking towards the package – now merely an opened box - and looking inside.

"What's up with her?" Rochelle stepped over to Woody and the cowboy doll shrugged.

"She's in some kind of state over just being a normal doll with a pullstring." He said shortly, watching Jessie clamber into the open box lying nearby. He blinked at his sister's actions. What was she doing?

"Hey you guys...?" Jessie called a moment later, holding up a long thin plastic rod with what looked like a thin cord on it. "What's this?"

From where she was tinkering with the keys on a small toy keyboard, Summer looked across. "Oh. That? That's a violin bow."

"A bow." The name sounded pretty to Jessie. "How do you play it?"

"Oh, you don't play that." Blaine stepped around the group, reaching to the floor for a delicate plastic instrument with four cords, similar to the one on the bow. "You need that for this. May I?"

He held out his hand to Jessie, who glanced up. She realised he wanted to help her out, and passed the bow over to him. Blaine took the bow, rested the violin on his shoulder, and raised the hand holding the bow.

Jessie wasn't prepared for what came next. Blaine drew the bow over the violin strings several times, resulting in a sharp clunky high pitched noise that made everyone jump and wince.

"Sheesh," Teresa muttered, dropping the drumsticks she'd been holding and covering her ears. "Can it, Blaine! You'll have the neighbourhood cats wailing if you keep that up!"

Blaine thankfully stopped, holding the violin in his right hand and the bow in his left. "I never said I knew how to play," he retorted to the black haired Barbie, who uncovered her ears now the noise was over. He turned back to Jessie.

"Maybe you'll have more luck with the violin than I will. Take it."

Jessie accepted the proffered violin – as Blaine called it - and the bow passed to her. As she cast her gaze down, the shiny contours of the violin reflected the light spilling into the room. She sat down inside the box, running her fingers over the pegs on the handle, caressing the body of the violin as it lay in her lap. It was so beautiful, yet the noise it had emitted still made her ears ring.

With a small sigh, she picked it up and rested it under her chin in much the same way Blaine had done, as the others looked on. She glanced up as she raised the bow, noticing Teresa had covered her ears in preparation once more.

Jessie paused, drawing the bow over the strings. A note filtered into the air, beautiful, clean and precise. With a glance at the others, Jessie noted the looks on their faces; Woody in particular was staring at her with shock. Jessie played another note, and then another, each one as crisp as the last, and she realised that unlike Blaine, she was playing the notes in tune.

With a gentle smile caressing her features, Jessie took the plunge and played ten notes in a row, one after the other, not knowing what she was playing or even if it made any sense. When she glanced up the second time, she saw Teresa had uncovered her ears and was smiling as she listened.

"Wow, that was beautiful," Rochelle breathed, as Jessie dropped the violin back into her lap. "You're a natural."

"But I know nothing about the violin," Jessie said softly, getting up and walking to where Blaine was. She attempted to give it to the male doll, who looked at her in surprise.

"What are you doing? I said take it."

Jessie realised he'd meant for her to keep it, and she squirmed. "I can't."

"Yes you can." Blaine pushed the violin back at her. "Take it, and learn it."

"But it belongs to you guys." Jessie gestured round.

"And we have plenty of new things. A new keyboard, new hand drum and a new microphone. We don't have time to learn anything new. The violin's yours, Jessie." Blaine said softly. "Call it a gift."

Jessie's cheeks flushed as she looked down at the instrument cradled in her arms. "If you're sure..." she whispered, a small smile gracing her lips.

"I'm sure," Blaine affirmed, watching the cowgirl doll turn and walk away to marvel over her new trinket.


"Woody?" The familiar voice reached the cowboy's ears as he sat on the second shelf of Amber's bookcase. Glancing down, Woody saw Buzz making his way up to the same shelf from below. The space toy clambered over a book sticking out and joined him in a sitting position, legs dangling over the edge.

"Have you seen Jessie?" Buzz asked, making himself comfortable. "I've hardly seen her at all the last couple of days."

"She's been practising," Woody said softly, and Buzz turned to his friend with wide eyes.

"Practising?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me she didn't tell you about the violin she was given by Blaine?"

"Oh. The instrument she's started to become attached to? You're telling me. She takes it with her wherever she goes." Buzz muttered. He was starting to get jealous of that violin. It saw more of Jessie than he did.

"Yeah." Woody had noticed Jessie clutching the violin to her chest everyday as well. "She follows the three girls and Blaine through the vent; she can learn more easily in the garage, no risk of her being discovered."

"Blaine gave her that violin and now he's there when she practises?" Buzz's face flushed a little.

"Sure." Woody started, and then saw the look on the space ranger's face. "Relax, Buzz." Woody put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"That male doll is giving my girlfriend presents and it's nothing?" Buzz exclaimed, and Woody rolled his eyes.

"Look, if you must know, I'm happy she's got the violin. The other day she was insanely jealous of everyone having some type of accessory. She was even a little jealous of your gadgets." The cowboy doll leaned across and smacked the laser button on Buzz's arm, making him jump.

"How many times have I told you? Don't play with my las-" Buzz started to scold Woody, when something made him stop.

The sound of an instrument being played quickly and lovingly filtered through the air to them. Glancing up at the same time, the two of them noticed a small cluster of toys around the area by Amber's window. They merely exchanged a look as they slipped down off the shelves.

They didn't have to discuss and question what – or rather, who – was making the melody.


They joined the other toys by the window shortly after the music had begun, pushing through the small crowd to the front. They'd been expecting something, but not this. Woody blinked in astonishment, and Buzz's jaw dropped on the sight.

For there in front of them, playing the violin as if her life depended on it, stood Jessie. Her long red braid was pulled loosely over her right shoulder, the violin resting to her left as she swept the bow over the strings of the small instrument. She was all concentration and fire, her right arm working deftly to play the notes.

Beside her, Teresa was holding a hand drum, and playing along in rhythm with the notes siphoning from the violin. In the middle of the little circle of toys was Rochelle, dancing an Irish jig. Her steps were concise and neat as she twirled her way through the routine.

Jessie continued to play, not noticing Woody and Buzz join the group. She was entirely at one with the violin, concentrating on the music coming from its strings. She did however eventually stop her relentless fiddling, when Blaine stepped forward into the circle.

For a moment, Buzz held his breath, fearing that the male doll was about to make a move on Jessie, but instead Blaine merely joined Rochelle, who had stopped dancing to let him have some space. To everyone's watching eyes, the male Barbie now began to execute a very specific hard jig to accompany Teresa's drumming.

The drumming stopped and Rochelle stepped forward, accompanied by the gentle lilt of the violin as Jessie began to play again. The notes were pitch perfect and sweet; every one of them accompanied by a tap of Rochelle's foot as she danced.

The drumming started up again from the direction where Teresa was standing, and Blaine grabbed Rochelle's arm, spinning the blonde doll around as she grinned widely at him. Without further ado, she contentedly twirled and stepped in time to the music with him close alongside her; never missing the beat coming from the instruments behind her.

The twosome continued to dance, as Buzz let his eyes drift from the spectacle of their dancing to where Jessie was stationed across from him. Her eyes sparkled as she kept right on moving the bow over the violin, her right arm pretty much a blur.

As the song started to wind down, Jessie glanced up, and caught his eye. With a soft blush tinting his cheeks, Buzz held her gaze. She was incandescent; she practically radiated her happiness throughout the room. As the last note played, the toys around the circle clapped and cheered; and from next to Buzz, Woody put his fingers in his mouth to whistle shrilly in appreciation.

Buzz tore his gaze from Jessie to glance over at Blaine, expecting the male Barbie to start walking in Jessie's direction, but he was too busy talking rapturously to Rochelle in the centre of the circle. The Moxie doll was giggling at his words, bracing herself against his forearms as she did so. Returning his gaze across the circle, Buzz was in time to see Jessie making her way over shyly towards him.

"Didya like it Buzz?" She asked hopefully, her hands clasped and holding the violin and bow down in front of her.

"Loved it." He grinned at her. "You were something else. Where did you learn to play?"

"I didn't," Jessie responded, raising the bow and looking at it. "Rochelle says I'm a natural."

"Oh. And Blaine?"

"Blaine?" Jessie looked at Buzz for a moment and smiled. "What about Blaine?"

"Well, Woody said he gave you the-" Buzz stopped, searching for the right word.

"Fiddle?" Jessie interjected.

The word didn't sound right to Buzz, but he let it pass. "Right."

"So Blaine gives me a instrument, so what?"

"Well you have been spending a lot of time with the other guys recently," Buzz slowly began to say, and Jessie guessed.

"Aw Buzz." She smacked him lightly on the arm with the bow. "Are you getting jealous?"

"No!" Buzz was quick to say, although he didn't know why. "I just...I missed you being around the playroom."

Jessie gave him one of her knowing looks, then sighed. "To be honest, it has felt a little weird." She glanced down at the violin in her hand then back up at Buzz. "I mean, having an accessory is all very well, but I don't think it's really for me."

"How come?"

"Well, you have to look after it like it's a part of yourself." Jessie sighed.

Buzz nodded, not knowing what to say.

"It's just a lot of extra work, polishing it and cleaning it and making sure the strings don't break," Jessie went on.

Buzz remained silent.

"Just a minute." Jessie murmured, and left his side, starting to make a beeline towards where Blaine was standing with Rochelle.

"Mind if I cut in?" Buzz heard her say, and his heart started pounding in his plastic chest as she squeezed between the other two dolls. He watched, transfixed, expecting something awful to happen, but instead Jessie held up the violin and its bow, and pushed them at Blaine.

"Here, Blaine. I'm done."

"But-" Buzz heard the male doll stutter, but Jessie was adamant.

"No. I took it, and I learned it like you asked. Now, I'm done with it. It's too much for me to handle, Blaine. I've got other things I like to do as well. Like yodelling, and looking after Bullseye, and..." she glanced across towards where Buzz was standing, and grinned. "And being with my boyfriend."

Without another word, Jessie turned and walked off, leaving Blaine staring after her in shock as she rejoined Buzz.

"Now, as for things that belong to me," Jessie remarked as she grabbed Buzz's hand on her return, beginning to lead him off. "I do believe I have something that's already a part of me."

"What's that?" Buzz dared to ask, praying it was something he could deal with.

The reply slipped easily off the cowgirl's lips as she turned to regard him. "Simple!" She smiled.

" You!"