Hi everyone! This is my first 'Toy Story' fanfic as I have been known to write fanfiction based on 'Meet the Robinsons.' I am having a writer's block on one of the stories I'm working on (had it for a month now, actually), and all of a sudden I got ideas for this story. Lastly, I will tell you ahead of time that the characters in this story are human; this explanation will be revealed in due time. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll enjoy "The Sheriff's Daughter." *I do not own anything related to "Toy Story"*
March 9, 2040
Dear Diary,
I'd say life is good here on the Pride Ranch. There is a lot of open air, there are all sorts of nature surrounding me and my family...particularly grass, horses, wildflowers, and other barn animals, and...the amazing smell of food. We don't hear much here on the ranch; if there is any noise at all, it would either be my aunt yodeling, my mom tending to her sheep or cooking, my dad taking care of the barn animals, or me singing my heart out or playing my guitar.
Since this is the first time I am writing to you, my dear diary, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Justine Jessica Pride, the only daughter of the rootinest, tootinest cowboy sheriff Woody Pride and the gentle shepherdess Bo Peep. My daddy has always told me that they had named me because of the meanings: 'Justine' means 'fair' and 'Jessica' means 'God beholds.' It sort of makes sense considering my daddy is the sheriff of a small town near McAlester, Oklahoma and is very fair with the law, and all three of us had Christian beliefs.
I am 16 years old and I am a sophomore in high school. However, I am not like the other children in our small town of Dakota; I have been homeschooled my entire life. My daddy had taught me law, husbandry, agriculture, history, geometry, and some music...specifically in playing the guitar. My mother, on the other hand, taught me cooking, science, literature, algebra, crocheting, and singing. My aunt, Jessica Pride...Jessie for short, who lived just a mile away, taught me how to yodel and sometimes husbandry when my daddy wasn't around.
Now you're probably wondering if I stay at home all the time because my parents teach me so much. I do accompany one of my parents when going to downtown Dakota to shop, and I sometimes go with my daddy whenever he would teach me some part of the law. The thing that interests me, however, is that this town has no cars and no cell phones. We have the old-fashioned horse-riding and telephones, unlike surrounding communities. My daddy takes this with pride...even though he has kept a car he inherited before I was born and has given all three of us cell phones just in case the power would go out. Our town was not quite like an Amish community, but it was definitely not Utopian either like the rest of the world is. My dad Woody once explained that it was this way because it was Cornelius Robinson's will to keep certain places the way they were.
Who is Cornelius Robinson, you ask? He would be the scientist who changed the world for the better. He made pretty much every place a Utopia ever since he won a science fair 30-some years ago. My dad must've known Cornelius personally if he decided to leave this town be. How? I do not know...but I'm not seeking answers either. I'm pretty content with where I'm at. If I ever left town, I'd probably be heartsick the minute I would get to college in a couple years. But who knows what would happen by then? Only God would know, and I'm not impatient to know those answers right away.
I gotta go; my mom's calling me downstairs.
"Justine, dinner time!"
I closed the diary that my mom had given me as a Valentine's Day present as she called me down to dinner. The scent of bacon was getting stronger as I descended down the stairs into the kitchen. I walked right next to my mother, Bo Peep, who was in her usual pink and white dress with pink polka dots, and I took the smell in real hard.
"Mmm-hmmm! Smells delicious, Mother!" I said. "Pigs in a blanket...good thing these aren't from our pigs."
"Justine, you know your father hates it when you mention the barn animals in the kitchen," my mother reprimanded me, pointing the spatula at me.
"I know, I know. I'm just saying." I walked into the dining room where there were only two plates set up.
"Is Daddy staying late tonight?" I asked my mom as she walked in with the dinner.
"Yes, dear. He says that some crook got loose again."
"Ouch." I was about to take a blanket when I received a stern look from the woman sitting across from me.
"Oh right...prayers." Dear Lord, thank you for blessing us with the food you've provided, and please protect my dad with your hand while he works his hardest to bring the man to justice. Amen.
"That was lengthy," my mother mentioned.
"I know," I said with a smirk, now taking the blanket along with some peas and corn. "But hey, God always answers prayer in some sort of way."
Both of us only got one bite in as the front door opened. We looked in that direction to see my daddy walking in, to my shock.
"Hello there, sheriff!"
"Hi, dear," my daddy, Woody, replied back as he walked in the dining room, approached his wife, and kissed her on the lips. He then walked over to me and kissed me in the forehead. "Hi, Justine."
"Howdy, Daddy," I said with a smile.
"How come you didn't save a plate for me?" my daddy asked with a slight smirk.
"You said you weren't coming back until 8:00!" Bo exclaimed.
"Well, the hunt for the thief was easier than we thought...only took us about 30 minutes."
"Well, we're glad he's back in his cell, right Justine?"
"Yeah, guys...right."
"Justine dear, why don't you help your dad and grab a plate for him?" my mother requested.
"Mom...I've already started eating!" I exclaimed with a bite of veggies in my mouth.
"Justine Jessica-"
"Since when is getting away from the table during dinner appropriate?" I asked as I stood up and grabbed the plate and silverware for my father.
"Ever since showing respect to others existed," my dad answered with some sternness in his voice. "Especially showing respect to people who have worked very hard to proved their families with food and shelter."
"Okay, okay, I get it," I said nonchalantly as I sat back down. I watched as Woody silently prayed before taking his first bite.
"So how's the food?" my mom asked.
"Delicious, Bo."
"As usual, Mom, I love your cooking."
"Do you know you're cooking the dinner tomorrow, Justine?"
"I am?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, tomorrow's Saturday."
"Isn't that Daddy's day to cook?"
"No, honey...I cook on Sundays and Wednesdays, remember?" my daddy corrected me.
"Oh that's right," I said with a facepalm. "Those two days are your only days off." I turned toward my mother, who herself took a bite of the blanket. "So what are you teaching me tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's Saturday, remember?" my mother asked. "Didn't we just talk about this?"
"Oh gee...I'm sorry. I'm really out of focus today."
"Speaking of which, what did you do today?" my daddy asked me as he took a sip of water. I chuckled in my mind as my dad was still wearing his brown cowboy hat.
"Uh, Daddy, you do know you're still wearing your hat, right?"
"Oh boy, thanks Justine," my dad said as he took off his hat and placed it on the counter right behind him.
"Anyway, I gave the horses and chicks some food and water, rode Bullseye around for a little bit, I learned some algebra and crocheting, and I wrote in my diary."
"The diary we gave you?" my mother asked.
"Yes, ma'am! I finally had the guts to write in it."
"How did you feel afterwards?" my daddy asked with a smile.
"I felt...good...and hungry because Mom called me down to eat."
"What did you talk about?" Woody asked.
"Just about myself." I changed the subject after taking a bite of the last of my peas. "So what are we doing in town tomorrow?"
"Well, your father has to work," my mom explained. "We can go shopping for some potatoes and milk."
"Okay, that sounds good." I finished my dinner and gave a smile. "Can I be excused?"
"Why?" my daddy asked.
"Because I want to shower early and go to bed fresh tonight."
"Remember the rules of the dinner table, young lady," Daddy reminded me as I rolled my eyes. "It is disrespectful to leave the table until everyone is done eating."
"Right. So, Mom, can we actually have fun in town tomorrow too? Maybe I can see Emily tomorrow."
"Hmm...that's actually not a bad idea," my mom agreed with me. "We'll stop by for a visit."
"Just don't go to the saloon," my dad warned.
"Uh, Daddy, in case you haven't noticed-"
"Our daughter is only sixteen, Woody. Why would she go to the saloon?"
"I'm right here, you know," I said, rolling my eyes again.
"Well, I just wanted to make sure you know, Justine," my daddy said, placing a strong hand on my shoulder right shoulder. "There are some crazy folks in there, and I don't want them doing harm to my beautiful daughter."
"Daddy, if something were to go wrong, I can take care of myself," I replied back with a smile while my fingers ran through my blonde hair. "But I won't go."
"That's my girl. Now I think we're all done, so you can go ahead and shower."
I stood up and gave both my parents kisses. I went upstairs to my green room and got out my white nightgown. I decided to take a good look at myself in the mirror before going to the bathroom. I stared at the red dress I was wearing, but I stared even more at my brown eyes...eyes that I inherited from my father. I had inherited my mother's hair and shape. After giving my reflection a smile, I grabbed my nightgown, preparing myself to shower for the next day.
Feel free to review and/or give me ideas as the story progresses. Thanks for reading, and I'll 'see' you later!