Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own.
Okay, I need to write this now to get this out of my system. I have recently been reintroduced to the Toy Story fandom because it's awesome and I wanted to write something. Then I decided against it until I watched the Macy's Fourth of July show and T-Swift was singing with the awesome Ed Sheeran on the song they collaborated on. So while this one-shot is not a songfic, it takes influence from the song ( in a probably pretty unoriginal way). OOC-ness, a sketchy plotline, scattered mistakes (wrote this in a hurry) and an OC at the end abound!
Enjoy!
Recommended Listening: "Everything Has Changed"- Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran
"Come on Georgie, don't look so serious! You're new class is going to be very nice, I'm sure," a woman with graying light brown hair promised as she looked down on her seven-year-old son. "Georgie" relaxed his face slightly but kept his arms crossed. The young boy sighed and looked around the empty bus stop with light blue eyes. Yes, George Lightyear thought, Earth was definitely much different than his native Morph.
"But I don't understand why I couldn't start school in Morph," he once again brought up again. Ms. Lightyear looked away sadly and George suddenly felt bad. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up and in an effort to make his mother feel better, he smiled and took her hand. "Never mind, Mom, I'm excited to start school here."
Ms. Lightyear beamed down at her son and was about to respond when the yellow school bus turned the corner and headed their direction. "Oh! Here comes the bus. Just be yourself, Georgie, and I know you'll make tons of new friends." She stooped down and wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him tightly. George hugged back. Ms. Lightyear pulled back and smiled, which her son returned, before letting go.
As George climbed the bus steps, he turned and gave his mother a wave goodbye before the doors closed. He cautiously made his way down the aisle, looking for a place to sit. All the seats were full except for a seat next to a small red-headed girl. He shyly slid into the seat and pulled off his backpack. He kept his attention forward, but the little red-head grinned broadly, her green eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Howdy!" she chirped and stuck her hand out. "'M Jessie Pride and I'm starting kindergarten today! What's your name?" she asked. George hesitated before gently shaking her hand.
"George Lightyear," he responded quietly and Jessie giggled. George colored slightly and looked away. He didn't know what was so funny.
"George is such an old person name. We need to give you a new one," Jessie declared and George looked at her in confusion. He didn't know what was wrong with George; it had been his father's name, his mother had told him. His father had died an honorable death and George was very proud of his name.
"How about 'Buzz'? 'Cause of his haircut," a new voice joined in and George turned in his seat to see a boy his age staring down at the two as he leaned over the seat, his brown eyes going back and forth between the two. George didn't say anything but ran a hand over his closely cut brown hair protectively. Jessie scoffed and crossed her arms.
"Butt out, Woody! I get to decide his new name because he's my friend and not yours," she said and George stared at her in surprise. When did they become friends?
Woody rolled his eyes in response. "Fine. I'd like to see what you can come up with, little sister," he taunted and Jessie gave him a look that meant she accepted his challenge. George stared back and forth between the two before settling back in his seat and keeping his attention forward. His new classmates might be nice, but they sure were weird.
As it turned out, George and Woody Pride, older brother of the energetic Jessie, shared the same second-grade class. George wasn't as sure if he would be friends with Woody, for the boy seemed to hold a grudge against him when the class found out his mom worked with Space Command and he wasn't a native of earth. Whatever Woody's problem was, George kind of hoped that they could be friends one day.
As he waited with the other kids for the bus to come, George fiddled with the straps of his backpack. Maybe he could get a seat to himself, he mused as the bus pulled up.
"Hiya Buzz!" someone called to him and George turned to see Jessie bounding down the sidewalk towards him. He waited until she caught up to him and she gave him a bright smile.
"You couldn't come up with anything else to call me?" he asked and Jessie shrugged as the two boarded the bus.
"Woody may be a weirdo of a big brother, but he has good ideas sometimes," she replied and George (or Buzz as he would be called from now until forever) smiled slightly. He took a seat and Jessie followed, leaving Buzz surprised. Jessie remained oblivious as she continued to ramble on about her first day of kindergarten. Buzz smiled after a while, excited that he made a new friend.
"You're sure you don't mind be the third-wheel tonight?" Woody asked for the hundredth time as the limo pulled up to the school. Buzz rolled his eyes and ignored his best friend. He could care less that he was going solo to the senior prom. He didn't even want to go, but Bo Peep, Woody's girlfriend since the third grade, had insisted and Woody had backed her.
Woody reckoned if he had to be in an uncomfortable suit, his best friend had to be as well.
"Oh, I'm so excited to see how the gym's going to be decorated," Bo said excitedly and she began to talk with another girl Buzz didn't even know but was in their party. He stared out the window and thought about how this would be one of the last times he was with his friends before they went their separate ways. Before they went to college and he went off to join Star Command. He planned to follow his parents' path to defend the universe and make the Lightyear name a well-known name.
"Buzz? Buzz?" Woody called his names and snapped his fingers in front of his eyes, pulling Buzz from his thoughts. Buzz glanced at him and Woody gestured toward the school. "We're here."
The party climbed out of the limo, Buzz bringing up the rear and stretched, ready to get the night of torture over with.
"Oh, Buzz, Woody!" a familiar called in a sing-song manner. Woody groaned and Buzz smiled. They didn't need to turn around to see who was calling them.
"Jessie, why are you here?" Woody demanded after the red-head bounded up to them. Jessie grinned cheekily and hugged her brother.
"Oh, Woody, are you not excited to see me?" she asked innocently and Woody gave her a look, one eyebrow raised.
"No," he deadpanned before pointing away. "Go home." Jessie looked mock-offended and Bo put a calming hand on Woody's arm. While Woody and Jessie argued, Buzz couldn't help but admire how the younger girl looked tonight.
Jessie wore a simple, long gown of cream that had been accented with gold. The dress hugged Jessie's slim figured and showcased the subtle curves that Buzz had never noticed before. Her long red hair was out of its normal braid and instead cascaded down her back in soft waves. The normal tomboy had even put on a little make-up, but not too much. Buzz caught himself staring and glanced away before anyone could notice, a bit of red dusting his cheeks.
"…Anyway, I'm here with this one guy that I have chemistry with because he didn't want to go alone. I guess it slipped my mind to tell you before today, Woody," she shrugged and Woody looked suspicious.
"What 'one guy '? You need to show me who he is and—"Woody was cut off by Bo slipping her arm through his.
"If we don't get inside now, we'll miss all the fun," she said in her soft voice and Woody chuckled sheepishly.
"R-right. Sorry," he muttered and let Bo lead him away. Buzz sighed and made to follow the two, but a hand on his arm held him back. Buzz stopped and looked back at Jessie, who fiddled with her hair nervously.
"I actually lied," Jessie admitted and shrugged. "No one asked me, but I didn't want to miss out hanging with you guys. Woody will be off to college next year and you'll be in space or something. You two are my best friends and I'll be lost without you next year," she said in a rush before looking away in embarrassment.
Buzz stared at her in surprise, never thinking about how it would affect Jessie. He felt a sudden rush of affection for Jessie and without thinking, grabbed her hand, leading her towards the school. She never asked what he was doing and allowed herself be lead away.
Once the two approached the check-in desk, Buzz dropped her hand. He spoke quietly with the adults manning the table before nodding and gesturing for Jessie to follow. Jessie stared at him in surprise.
"What just happened?" she asked and Buzz shrugged, taking her arm in his and leading her into the gym.
"I explained that I had asked you to be my date last minute and that I was willing to pay in for you to get in, but they said it was okay," he replied with a smile and Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"Buzz?"
"…I may or may not have said you were dying of cancer and this was on your list of things to do before you died."
"What?!" Jessie laughed in disbelief and shook her head. "You know that I still have two years left here, right? What if they remember me?"
Buzz looked at her innocently. "You had a miraculous recovery," he winked and Jessie laughed again. The two made their way over to their friends. Woody looked surprised to see Jessie with Buzz.
"Her date ditched her," Buzz lied smoothly and Woody looked angry for a moment before calming down and smiling at the sight of his best friend and little sister.
"Well, his loss then," Woody shrugged and watched the two go off to the dance floor. Bo wrapped her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulder.
"I hope they realize their feelings for each other soon," she sighed and Woody brought her into his embrace.
"I do too. But you can't rush love," he replied before pulling his girlfriend onto the dance floor for a dance.
Buzz squinted as he stepped out of the yellow taxi, blinking a few times before his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. He paid the taxi driver his fare and grabbed his bag out of the trunk and headed into the tall apartment building. A gush of cool air hit him as he entered the building and he relished it, for it was a hot July day. He looked around the lobby of the building before setting sights on a familiar face.
"Buzz," Jessie greeted as she stood up from the blush chair in the lobby and embraced him tightly. Buzz returned the embrace before pulling away to study the woman before him. At twenty-two, Jessie had blossomed into an even more-beautiful woman, though she had somehow managed to surpass him in height. Her red hair was still in its signature braid and the freckles she had when they were younger had never faded. Her green eyes look tired and worried and Buzz frowned.
"Is he okay?" he asked and Jessie shrugged and resumed her seat, Buzz following. She sighed and blew a loose piece of hair out of her face.
"I have no idea. He hasn't answered my phone calls and none of his neighbors have seen him in days. I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I called you. You are his best friend," she stated and looked at Buzz hopefully.
"It's been many years since I've seen your brother, Jess," Buzz admitted, but regretted saying when he saw her face fall. "But that doesn't mean I won't try. So what happened exactly? Did he and Bo have a bad argument or…?"
Jessie frowned and glared at the floor. "She just left. She just packed up her things one day and left before Woody could get home. No letter, no phone call, nothing. I've been trying to remember if I saw any signs that they were having problems or if she seemed unhappy, but I can't. They seemed like the perfect, happy couple."
"Everyone thought they would be the ones to make it," Buzz mused and shook his head. "Poor Woody. No wonder he's such a mess. What can I do?" he asked. Jessie stood and Buzz followed.
"I was thinking maybe you could talk to him, maybe knock some sense into him. If he listens to anyone, it'll be you. I'm here to make sure he's alive," Jessie said and Buzz chuckled slightly.
"Alright, I'll see if I can try," he declared and Jessie smiled and leaned down to give a peck on the cheek.
"It's good to see you again," she whispered as she pulled away and headed off in the direction of the elevator. Buzz blushed and stared after her before rushing to catch up.
"I can't believe you already have such a high position," Jessie said amazed after Buzz gave her a quick summary of his time in space. Buzz ducked his head bashfully.
"It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off. And you're graduating early from college, yes?" he asked and Jessie shrugged.
"Yeah. I took a lot of college classes my last two years of high school. Really focused on my school and not running around doing stupid things," she replied, looking pointedly at Buzz.
Buzz sniffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about. They were all Woody's ideas." Jessie laughed as the two stopped in front of the door to Woody's apartment. Jessie took a nervous breath and rang the doorbell five times. Noticing Buzz's strange look, she smiled slightly.
"It's a code we came up with a few years back. You know, so he'd know I'm a not Jehovah's Witness or something," she explained before ring the doorbell several more times. Yet no one answered the door. Jessie groaned and started to pound on the door.
"Woody! It's me, Jessie. And Buzz is with me. He wants to talk to you, right Buzz?" she asked loudly and looked expectantly at Buzz.
"Y-yeah. I mean, yes, I want to speak with you Woody," he called and Jessie smiled at him before banging on the door some more. She suddenly took a step back when she heard someone unlocking the door. It swung open and a tired and scruffy-looking Woody stared at the two in annoyance.
"I guess no one understands that I wanted some solidarity, huh?" he drawled before smirking at Buzz. "I didn't know it would take a bad breakup for you to come visit, Buzz."
Buzz looked away guiltily. "Sorry about that," he muttered and Woody shook his head.
"It's alright," he sighed and gestured for the two to come in. Buzz and Jessie looked at each other before following.
Two hours later, Buzz joined Jessie again, who was waiting in the living room. She glanced up at him anxiously.
"Well?" she asked and Buzz gave a smile.
"He's freshening up before he joins us for dinner," he said and Jessie gave a cheer and hugged Buzz.
"I knew you were the one who could talk to him. How is he though?" she asked and Buzz shrugged.
"Sad. Hurt. I don't think he's angry anymore and I don't think he holds anything against Bo. He'll always love her, but I think he'll one day forgive her. It'll take some time before he's ready to move on," he replied and Jessie gave him a long, thoughtful stare before hugging him again.
"So, I was wondering," she began after she had released Buzz. "Do you want to go out for coffee or something before you have to leave again?"
Buzz stared at her in a confused manner before a wave of understanding crossed his face. "O-oh. I would, uh, really like that. Maybe tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Jessie smiled. "Tomorrow sounds great." Before anything else could be said, Woody emerged from the master bedroom, looking cleaned up and much better, though sadness still lingered in his features.
"Ready to go?" he asked and his sister and best friend nodded. Whatever happened tomorrow would be forgotten in an effort to make Woody feel better.
A year and a half had passed since Buzz had returned to help out an old friend. And in that year, he and Jessie started dating, much to the relief of their friends.
"I thought you two would never realize your feelings for each other," Woody had joked when he heard the news. The relationship was new for the couple, who had always saw the other as just their friend. But one day they realized that, suddenly, everything had changed.
It also helped that Buzz was given a job with space command that kept him on earth.
As for Woody, he never did find out why Bo left or where she went, but that was okay. He had accepted it and forgave the woman he would always love. Woody eventually began to consider dating other people and almost a year later he went out a few times with a lovely woman named Dolly. She was spontaneous and full of life and Woody liked that about her. However, the two realized soon after they began dating that they were better suited to be just friends and were just fine with that.
A few months later, Jessie introduced a young woman new to the area named Cordelia to Buzz and Woody. She had just arrived from London and was pursuing a career as a novelist, moving in hopes for some new inspiration. She and Jessie had become fast friends and it seemed she became fast friends with Woody too. While the two would never admit they actually had an interest in one another, the two would often act like an old married couple, much to the amusement of Jessie and Buzz.
And all was right in the world, or at least Jessie and Buzz's world. They were very much in love with one another and nothing could change that. They may have only been seeing each other for less than two years, but that hardly mattered to the two when Buzz proposed to Jessie, who accepted with a tackle hug and cheers in the background.
So the energetic little girl and the shy little boy would have a happily ever after all.
Oh lawdy! I have no idea how this suddenly turned into the cheesiest ending I've ever written. I'm sorry to all that endured this. But I had to get this out of my system. :D
