WoodyxBo – Their Final Night
She stood absolutely still. A perfect porcelain statue. Her golden curls resting on her slender neck, and her pale pink bonnet perched on top of her beautiful hair. She clutched her Shepherd's Crook in her smooth hands, her cheek elegantly resting against the hook in a demure fashion
One couldn't tell by looking at her, but Bo was listening intently to the conversation going on not a foot away from where her lamp sat on Molly's bedside table. It was 9:42 and Mom was tucking Molly into bed.
"Honey, can you think of anything else that you want to sell at the yard sale tomorrow?" Mom asked. "What about Mrs. Potato Head?"
"No!" Molly said quickly. "I want to keep her. Besides, Andy keeps her in his toy box."
"Okay," Mom conceded. She glanced around. "What about your Bo Peep lamp?" She suggested. "You just got a new one from your aunt."
Molly looked regretfully at the lamp sitting on her bedside table. "Alright." She said softly.
"Okay." Mom said. She kissed Molly's forehead. "I'll come for her in the morning." She turned out Bo's light and left the room. Molly was asleep before the door closed.
Bo sunk to the base of her lamp. I'm being sold… That thought ran through her head over and over and over again, threatening to engulf and drown her.
She stood, and slowly slid down the leg of the bedside table, landing softly on the hardwood floor. Her feet carried her across the room, through the suite-style bathroom and into Andy's room.
"Hello, Bo." Came Buzz's voice. Bo turned to see the Space Ranger walking towards her, Jessie by his side.
"Where's Woody?" She asked Buzz.
"He's on the bed." The cowgirl answered for him.
Bo nodded and crossed the room the foot of Andy's bed. "Woody?" She called. A few moments later Woody's hand-painted face poked over the edge of the comforter.
"Well, howdy there little lady." He said.
"Hey, Woody." Just hearing him speak calmed her down a little. "Can I speak to you?" She asked. "Alone?"
He looked at her funny. "Sure, I'm on my way." He face disappeared and a moment later he had slid down the bedpost and was standing by her side. He took her hand in his. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I just really need to talk to you." She said.
"Alright, I know the perfect place." He pulled her over to Andy's old toy box. He took off his hat, and pulled off Bo's bonnet, then put them on top of Bo's shepherd's crook, and leaned it against the front of the toy box. Then they climbed inside.
The lid shut behind them and a small shaft of moonlight came in through the crack at the back of the toy box, where the hinges didn't quite sit right anymore.
"Okay, Bo, what-" Woody was cut short as Bo threw herself into his arms. He held her for a moment, sobs racking her small body, and then cupped her face in his hands. "Bo, what's wrong?"
She looked him in the eyes. "Tomorrow, I'm-" She gulped. "I'm being sold in the yard sale." She watched his reaction. There wasn't one. His face didn't move.
After a moment, he sunk to a sitting position on top of an old beanbag, pulling Bo into his lap. His mind, having recovered from the initial shock of Bo's announcement, was frantically trying to come up with a way to save her. I can't. He thought. None it will ever work… He felt helpless, powerless, weak.
He turned to look at Bo. She was still watching him. He pulled her to his chest. "I love you so much." He whispered in her ear.
"I love you too." She replied. She ran her fingers along his belt buckle. She loved the way the smooth metal felt. She unbuckled it and ran her fingers along the soft leather of the inside. She lifted herself up to kiss his forehead.
Woody ran his hands down the soft fabric of her bodice, and wrapped his fingers in the laces, pulling them loose so he could wrap them around his hands. Almost like he thought he could stop her leaving if he could just hold on to her.
His mouth found hers in a gentle kiss. They kissed again and again, each getting more emotional than the last until they were reduced to sobbing in each other's arms, Woody cradling Bo against his chest. She took his left hand in her right, and held it close to her heart.
They spent the night that way, content to spend their last night together in each others arms.
When dawn came, there was a knock on the outside of the toy box. Woody and Bo climbed out and walked slowly over to the bathroom door.
"I love you so much." Bo whispered as Woody held her in his arms for what would be the final time.
"I love you too." Woody whispered back. He pulled away a little bit to look at her face again, one hand around her waist, the other on her curls. He felt the bow tied in her curls. He pulled it out and wrapped it around his fingers. "I swear this to you, Bo." He said. "I will find you again."
She smiled sadly. "I may just hold you to that sheriff." She kissed him one more time, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Woody closed the door behind her, his forehead resting against the wooden panels. "Goodbye Bo." He whispered.
Someone clapped him on the shoulder. "Good night last night?" Came Buzz's teasing voice. "Don't worry about missing Andy; he fell asleep on the sofa last night."
Woody smiled slightly at him. "Buzz, there's a yard sale today. Do an emergency roll call."
The entire room sprung into action, everyone lining up while Buzz performed a roll call. Woody climbed up on the desk and sat in the open windowsill.
He looked down at the pale blue silk in his hand and ran his fingers over it a few times. He took off his bandana and tied Bo's ribbon around his neck before putting the bandana on again.
He watched as Andy's Mom set up the tables and lay out the merchandise. Bo's lamp was placed on one of the front tables along with all of Molly's old baby clothes. An hour passed and the sale seemed to be going well. For Andy's mom anyway.
A large gold van pulled up at around 10:30 and a woman got out of the front seat. Woody had seen her around the house a few times and knew that she was one of Mom's friends. She and Mom talked for a little while. The woman must have had some good news because Andy's mom began to jump up and down and even touched her stomach.
The woman picked up most of Molly's old clothes and was about to leave when she spotted Bo's lamp. She picked it up and paid Mom. Then she got in the van and left.
Just like that, Bo was gone.
-3 years later-
"So long, partner." Woody whispered as he watched Andy's car disappear down the road. There was an ache in his heart. He knew from experience that it would dull but it would never go away. A toy never forgets.
They lived in Bonnie's home now, and they were Bonnie's toys. They didn't mind. They were just glad to be together and played with again.
It was about two months after their arrival when Bonnie's mom said that she had a surprise.
"What is it?" Bonnie asked excitedly. She had Buzz and Woody in her arms and was jumping up and down excitedly.
"You'll never guess what I found up in the attic!" Bonnie's mom said. From a box on the table she pulled out an old dusty lamp. On it was a shepherdess with her three sheep. She stood absolutely still. A perfect porcelain statue. A blue Shepherd's Crook in her hands and a pink bonnet on her head.
"I thought we lost her in the move, remember?" Bonnie's mom reminded her. Bonnie nodded, rocking back and forth on her heels in excitement. "Let's go put her on your bedside table." They went into Bonnie's room and her mom put the old lamp on the table. She plugged it in and turned the switch on. No light came on. "Oh, the bulb must be dead." Bonnie's mom said, disappointed. "That's okay, we'll fix it when we get back from Pizza Planet." She said.
"Pizza Planet?" Bonnie cried in excitement. "Yay! Let's go!"
"Ok, leave your toys here." Mom said. Bonnie put Buzz and Woody on the bed and scampered out of the room after her mom.
They waited for the front door lock before they moved. Woody sat up and turned to look at the dusty lamp on the bedside table. He walked over towards it slowly, Buzz watching him curiously. Woody brushed some of the dust off of the Shepherdess' shoulders then circled around behind her.
There was no bow in her hair.
"Bo?" He whispered. The next sound was music to his ears.
"Woody?"
