A/N This is my first Toy Story fanfic! It's basically a product of me wondering what happened to Bo between Toy Story 2 and 3. Please review
The fateful yard sale that broke Woody's heart
"Andy!"
"What is it, Mum?" the 13 year old Andy replied, irritated.
Woody peeked out from behind Hamm, who was partially obscuring his vision, to see Andy lying on his bed playing a handheld video game and his mum coming into the room carrying an empty bin bag
"I'm having a yard sale later so you need to clear out some of your old toys and things, alright?" she said thrusting the bag at Andy.
Woody gasped. The words 'yard sale' meant complete panic among the toys- all were scared that this time they would be the ones being sold. Even now- with both Andy and his mum in the room, ready to spot if the toys did anything suspiciously un-toy-like- Woody could see Hamm fidgeting anxiously and hear Jessie give a frightened yelp.
"But Muuum," Andy moaned, "I don't have anything I want to give away."
"Of course you do," his mum replied. "Your room's a right mess." She strode over to the shelf where the toys sat. "What about all these old toys? You never play with them anymore."
Although all the toys fell still and silent as soon as Andy's mum approached, it was obvious that they were completely terrified. Woody understood why but he wasn't worried. Not really. Sure, he hadn't been properly played with for two years or so and he was usually surreptitiously hidden when Andy's friends came over but sometimes, when he was sure no one was around, Andy would pick him up and ask "How you doing, Woody?" and pull the string in Woody's back to get a reply. Andy still loved him, Woody was sure. He wouldn't give him to a yard sale. Not yet, anyway.
Andy's mum left the room, informing Andy that she expected the bag to be full by the time she came back, and Andy got up from his bed and began half heartedly searching the room.
He began tossing stuff into the bin bag: a dusty old board game from under his bed, a tin of felt tip pens, a few ancient cartoon videos. Woody could hear the other toys breathing sighs of relief. It didn't look like any of them were getting sold today.
But then Andy approached the dusty shelf where his old toys were kept and complete and utter panic took hold of them.
"We're getting sold!" whispered Rex.
"No, we're not," Woody hissed back but no one was listening to him anymore. Rex was going completely insane with fear. Jessie was close to crying and Buzz was comforting her with a worried look on his face. The Potato Heads were trying unsuccessfully to hide behind Slink. Woody sighed. He could only hope that Rex didn't turn out to be right.
Andy looked up at the toys and they fell still, assuming the positions of lifeless, inanimate objects. He began to run his fingers over them in an almost sad sort of way. Once or twice he paused and looked at the black plastic bag in his hands as if considering whether to put one of the toys in it but he soon decided against it and moved on. When he got to Mrs Potato Head he picked her up and seemed ready to drop her into the bag but he changed his mind and put her back, much to the toys' relief.
It seemed that they were all spared when Andy suddenly plucked Bo Peep and her sheep off the shelf. Woody prayed that he would reconsider and put her back down like he had with Mrs Potato Head but Andy just tossed Bo into the bag and made towards the door.
"No!" Woody cried. "Bo!"
She stuck her head out the top of the bag and Woody noticed a tear glistening on her cheek.
"Goodbye, Woody," she mouthed and gave a forlorn little wave. Then Andy left the room and Woody couldn't see her anymore.
"Bo!" Woody screamed again, jumping down on to the floor. He turned to the other toys. "Guys, come on! We have to go help her."
He was met by an awkward silence. The toys glanced at each other and gave nervous coughs.
"Look, Woody," said Buzz finally as he jumped down to join his friend. "We agreed that if someone got sold at a yard sale or...or put in the garbage or whatever we weren't going to, you know, rescue them, remember?"
"But you rescued me- well you tried- when I ended up at that yard sale. You must remember- years ago?" Woody protested.
"That was different. That was just a misunderstanding. Don't you remember Wheezy?"
"Yeah, I know, I know. Andy's mum found him when she was clearing out Andy's room and put him the garbage and then we tried to rescue him but she found us on the stairs and took Wheezy right back to the garbage."
"Exactly. The humans are always going to win in the end. They're bigger than us, right?"
"But... But...Bo!" moaned Woody.
"I'm sorry, Woody," said Buzz, patting him on the arm. "But there's nothing you can do about it."
Woody walked miserably over to the windowsill and hoisted himself up. He could see Andy's mum setting out cardboard boxes on a large table positioned in the yard. Somewhere amid the unwanted junk was Bo Peep.
"Bo shouldn't be there!" Woody thought angrily to himself. "She's not unwanted junk. Well, maybe she is to Andy but not to me!" Woody felt like punching something. Or someone. Andy would probably be one of the top contenders.
Woody found himself remembering Bo. He remembered all the things he loved about her: her wonderful blonde hair, her soft white skin, her laugh, the way she said his name... He remembered all the wonderful nights they'd spent together, curled up together by the window when everyone else was asleep and all the private winks and smiles they'd exchanged during the day. He remembered that one perfect day a year or so ago when Andy and his family were out for the day and all the other toys had gone into Molly's room because two of her Barbie dolls were having a party and the two of them were alone together. And now there would never be another day like that. Woody didn't think he'd ever felt so sad in all his life.
Woody sat by the window for the rest of the day and watched the yard sale. Buzz and Jessie and some of the toys tried to comfort him but he ignored them. All his attention was focused on scrutinizing every person who bought something to see if Bo was among their purchases.
She never was. Woody saw Andy's videos sold to a woman with two toddlers in tow and the felt tip pens sold to a little girl about the same age as Andy's sister, Molly but Bo remained hidden in one of the many bags and cardboard boxes. Woody began to hope that no one would buy Bo and she would be returned to her rightful place in Andy's room.
But, just when nearly everything seemed to be gone, Woody saw an old lady hand some money to Andy's mum. She was carrying an old, slightly cracked set of plates, a vase that Andy's mum had been given for Christmas last year... and Bo Peep.
"No!" Woody screamed as he watched the old lady drop Bo into her bag and walk off down the road. The other toys rolled their eyes. They had all given up on giving Woody sympathy after he had rejected their attempts over the past few hours.
"Woody, Buzz sighed, "Bo's gone. She's never coming back. Get used to it. You'll forget about her soon."
But Woody knew that he would never, ever forget about Bo.
When she got to her new home, Bo was placed in a glass cabinet with a number of other china ornaments (it seemed that her new owner collected them). She was rather disappointed to find out that she was no longer a toy- just a collectable. This didn't bother her too much though. After all, living with Andy she hadn't been played with for years and there were plenty of other ornaments to talk to in the cabinet. In a way she was happier here because she was sometimes looked at and admired rather than just sitting in a corner gathering dust.
But here was one problem with her new life: there was no Woody.
There was a china shepherd stood next to her on the shelf and he often tried to flirt with her but Bo wasn't having any of it. He wasn't bad-looking but his eyes were too close together and his hair was too messy and he was far too arrogant for Bo's taste. He certainly couldn't hold a candle to Woody.
During the long, boring hours cooped up inside the glass case, Bo would think about Woody. She would remember all the wonderful time they had spent together and fantasise about seeing him again. But she knew they were just fanaticises. She knew she would never see Woody again. The thought made her cry.
After all, he was the best toy she ever knew.
