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Author's note: I was inspired to write this story right after watching "Toy Story 3": I have to say, I feared it could ruin the Toy Story saga, as many sequels do. I'm happy I was wrong, because I truly loved this movie. It made me laugh, be totally absorbed into the plot, and most of all, it made me emotionally involved even more than the first movie, which I adore.
I truly appreciated how it focused on Woody and Andy's relationship, and that is why, in this story, I'll concentrate on it as well.
The story is set right at the end of the third movie: I changed the very last part.
"Departure" will deal with Woody's introspection: about his life, about his bond with Andy and consequently about how his departure had truly affected him. But not just that. It will also deal with Buzz and his relationship with Woody and with Andy.
Full Summary: [Set at the end of Toy Story 3, beware of spoilers!] He was gone. For good. After more than 10 years, Woody and Andy had finally parted their ways: after all, that was the right choice for everyone. That's what he kept saying to himself. However, Woody will soon have to face how his best friend's departure had truly affected him, and he won't be the only one to notice that: but what could Buzz do to tear his friend away from misery?
Enjoy!
Check out my Toy Story Tribute (Woody&Andy) at http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=yCrK-7xCGrQ
And my other Toy Story Tribute (Trilogy) at http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=cmCsEWZAWfQ
Or just look on Youtube for MisakiKyuuki
.-.-.-. New POLL in my profile: which bond do you like best? .-.-.-.
1)Woody&Andy
2)Woody&Buzz
3)Buzz&Andy
Vote now! =D
DEPARTURE
Prologue
Stay
"Now Woody, he's been my pal for as long as I can remember. He's brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he'll never give up on you...ever. He'll be there for you, no matter what."
That was it. His best friend's last words. Andy's goodbye.
He had heard Andy talking about him. He had watched Andy as he smiled at him. He had felt Andy holding him again after years, with the same warmness he used to have.
And they had played. Together. Once again.
How could something so precious, so ecstatic, hurt so much at the same time?
He kept still, laying lifeless in Bonnie's arms, as he watched his owner, his friend, his Andy leave inside his car. He watched him maybe for the last time with a plastic look plastered on his vinyl face, that nonetheless held so many emotions.
The car was slowly but surely drifting away from his sight, as the now young man was from his life.
His companion, the one he cared about the most, his pal for over ten years, was going away. Maybe, for good. Without him. And he had deliberately chosen to part their ways and say goodbye. He felt something wrench and break inside him, even if all he was made of was just cottoned fluff.
"Now Woody, he's been my pal for as long as I can remember."
Don't.
"He's brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart."
Don't leave.
"But the thing that makes Woody special is he'll never give up on you...ever."
Don't leave me.
"He'll be there for you, no matter what."
A last spark of blue from behind the nearby bushes. And then, nothing.
If he had had a beating heart, he would have felt it collapse on itself.
If he had had veins, all the colour would have been drawn from his face.
If he had had the possibility to cry, he would have felt a warm and salty wetness devastating his cheeks.
Andy. Was. Gone!
"Come on, Bonnie. Let's get something to eat." She dropped them. She ran away from them.
And so did he.
Landing on his left boot, he immediately bounded onto his right one.
He ran as fast as his stuffed legs enabled him to. He could not breathe, nor think. He just ran.
Ran. Ran. Ran.
Faster.
Ran. Ran. Ran.
He did not hear the cries of the other toys. He did not feel the pain from the prolonged strain. Nor did he care, anyway.
And there it was. Andy's car, still not at full speed, accelerating and ready to take off completely.
Stop.
He arrested death in his tracks, there, in the middle of the road.
He breathed in all the air he could, because he was panting and he desperately needed it. Then, he exhaled it all in one last, mourning yell.
"I'LL MISS YOU ANDY!"
He was driving. Away from his home, from his family, from his entire life, to start a whole new chapter. And yet, why was it so woeful to leave everything and everyone he cared about behind? He should have been happy, and he was. He had finally obtained the independence he wanted so much, he was not a kid anymore. He was turning into a young man, and that was the first step. But…
A cry.
A shrill, penetrating cry.
His foot pressed on the brake faster than he could even think to do so, his eyes wide open and his irises half their size.
The car screeched harshly with the solid concrete, before stopping completely.
His pupils were glued to the wing mirror, his heart skipping a beat and then leaping to a full-speed rhythm.
He had heard that voice. He knew that voice. And he saw him. He saw Woody standing right there in the street, several yards away but still clearly visible.
He felt a tight lump knot at his epiglottis, his mouth going awfully dry and his jaw dropping.
A moment that felt like eternity, barely lasted a handful of seconds.
His eyes, dry as well, blinked.
And he was gone.
His gaze started to wander frantically from left to right, lost, and his irises were now wide open to search for an answer that did not come.
He unfastened his seatbelt with trembling hands, and jumped out of his car as fast as he could.
The road, completely empty.
He rubbed his eyes forcefully, and then reopened them.
Still, no one.
He felt something wet forming on his lower eyelids, but it wasn't due to the hard scrub they just went through. Then, he went back into his car, sinking down on his seat and closing the door. He finally swallowed the lump in his throat, his head slumped downwards.
"Gee…" he mused, a stern tone in his voice. "How stupid am I?"
He forced himself to prevent the wetness in his eyes to fall down his cheeks, and soon it was gone.
The engine was started again, and soon enough, he was resuming his travel, moving far and far away from that spot with each passing second. It was just his mind playing tricks on him. It was not real. It was his imagination. Just that. Just an illusion…
And yet, he could not help that nagging voice inside of him, telling him it was real, screaming that he had indeed seen Woody, his toy Woody standing and yelling his name. And that was why he kept glancing ever so often at the rear mirror, with a light spark of hope glowing in the deep core of his soul; a hope he regretted and mocked every time he saw the road and just the road left behind.
The truth was, Andy Davis truly and dearly missed his toys. Because they had been his best friends for his entire childhood. Because he could always rely on them. Because he just needed their presence to travel with his mind and let his imagination take them in swashbuckling adventures.
Because they were a part of his life, now gone.
He missed having them around.
The truth was, Andy Davis truly and dearly missed his Woody. Because he had constantly been by his side, no matter what. Because he was not an ordinary toy and, as weird as it was, he seemed to somehow look after him, being always there when needed.
Because he almost worshipped him as an hero, his hero. Because he loved him, more than he could ever love any of his other toys. Because it was him, and no more explanations were needed.
He missed him.
He shook his head forcefully, as trying to free it from those silly thoughts. He was a grown-up boy now. He had no time for toys. Not even for Woody.
His downwards mouth, however, told otherwise.
He was panting. Frantically.
He had seen him.
Woody stood; but not like he did just a few moments ago: his arms were not spread, nor were his legs. His limbs were rigid and straight at the sides of his body, the fists painfully clenched as ever before; eyes wide open and mouth set in a thin line: the perfect expression of pure shock.
What had he done?
He tried to steady his breathing. He failed.
"Woody!"
Buzz was the first one to reach him, stopping just a few inches away from one of the two main gate pickets the cowboy was hiding behind.
"What the…why did you do that? You know somebody could've seen you!" He was bewildered, to say the least.
Woody opened his mouth as to speak, but no sound came out, so he closed it. His gaze stopped staring emptily in front of him, as he slowly set it downcast alongside with his head, before shutting his eyelids tightly, the firm line on his mouth slightly curving into a grimace.
"I…don't know" he barely whispered with an ever so low, dejected tone.
The space ranger looked at him. His shoulders were now weakly slumped down, as well as his knees, while the tight grip his hands were balled into was loosening up.
Resignation, desolation, helplessnesses: these were emotions he rarely read on the cowboy's face. He had always been the leader, the optimist, the one that never surrendered and that always, always motivated and helped everyone. It was just like him.
That is why it was so hard, and so painful, seeing said emotions depicted in his face and in his physical attitude. And it was even harder to come to terms with the knowledge he could do absolutely nothing to ease the troubled mind of his best friend. Nobody could. Well, nobody but the person that had caused his grief in the first place, anyway.
But he was very well conscious that Andy would never come back for a toy, even if it was Woody. It had been a choice of his, after all: he had willfully jumped from the "college" box into theirs.
Even though, after his outcry, Andy could have as well come back. At least, he hoped he would.
"Woody…" he put an hand on his right shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "I'm sorry. I really am. I know how much this situation affects you."
He cracked his eyes open just a bit, forming a thin line that barely allowed him to see anything at all. Then, all of a sudden, he straightened up once again, and started to move towards Bonnie's house. Their new house.
"We should go back. Bonnie might return and notice we're not there" he said, emptily, his voice drawn of every emotion.
"Woody…" Buzz raised his right arm as to stop him, his voice, as well as his upwards eyebrows, showing an hint of surprise at his sudden change of behaviour.
I really wanted this to be ready this week, so I stayed up all the night till 7.30 AM to finish the prologue XD
So, what do you think? Reviews are gladly accepted! =D
P.S.: I'm already working on the first chapter!
