Credit for this chapter goes to Diane Clifford. Enjoy, and please leave a review! :)
Chapter 2 - Year One
"Hey, slow down!" Jessie heard Rex shouting long before it happened.
It was a few weeks after she had arrived at Andy's with Bullseye. Things were going well, but she was still adjusting to being one of very few female toys in an otherwise male dominated room. The male toys seemed to often play a little more boisterously than she was used to, having been owned by a little girl previously.
Right now, her attention was caught by Rex's words. "Come on, give it back, I only borrowed it, Woody will make me extinct if I lose it!"
"You gotta catch me, Lizard Breath!" Mr Potatohead called, running towards near where Jessie was standing. She could see he was holding a square object, which she recognised as Woody's clipboard.
Her loyalty to her brother made her stop dead in the middle of the room. Mr Potatohead was so busy looking behind him in his quest to get away, that he didn't see Jessie, and ran straight into her. He dropped the clipboard, and fell over with a grunt. Several of his pieces flew off, clattering in the immediate surroundings.
"Oh! Thank you Jessie!" Rex panted, catching up to the cowgirl and the spud, who by now was lying on his back, moustacheless, armless, and one-eye-less.
Jessie shrugged and gave a small smile. "Happy to help a critter, Rex." She retrieved the clipboard and held it out, as Mr Potatohead grumbled and started to get up, picking up his parts off the floor. He gave Jessie a bit of a look ā as much as was possible with only one eye left in his head ā and shuffled off, muttering something about newcomers getting in the way.
Rex, meanwhile, grabbed the clipboard from Jessie as if his life depended on it. "I must return this!" He gabbled with a grin, his little arms wrapped around the brown square. As he turned to go, Jessie noticed his tail making a beeline straight for her head. She shrieked a little, and ducked, feeling Rex's tail make contact.
As the dinosaur toy lumbered off, she raised up again to full height. Something wasn't right. Jessie frowned, putting her hand up to her head. Her hat wasn't there. She glanced around and saw it lying on the floor just behind her. That's what it was. She turned around, and bent over to pick it up; grateful she hadn't sustained a serious injury or broken part.
Ka-chunk.
She stayed where she was for a moment, her ears caught by the noise. Her brow furrowed, and she looked behind her, around her leg. In the upside down position, she blinked before straightening up to make sure she had seen correctly.
There, standing not too far behind her as she looked over her shoulder, was Buzz Lightyear. His wings were out, the tips blinking alternately.
"Why would his wings be out like that?" She wondered vaguely to herself. She watched him fumble for, and eventually hit the red button on his chest panel, as he muttered something to himself. The wings went back in; she heard them clunk back into place. She shook her head and recollected her thoughts.
"Where was Iā¦.? Oh right, my hat. Honestly, I'm so forgetful." She bent over a second time to retrieve the hat.
Ka-chunk.
She jerked to a stop. Her eyes widened and her body tensed, her hand hovering just above where her hat still lay, forgotten in that instant. That noise was familiar now. Her fingers brushed her hat, and she made sure to keep hold of it this time, as she straightened up and turned.
Buzz was still standing there in the same spot behind her, and his wings were back out. The wing tips were flashing again, green and red, green and red. A mischievous smile played over Jessie's features.
"Really, Buzz?" She thought, the realisation occurring. She set her hat back on her head and walked over to him, long graceful strides. She reached the spot in front of him and her hand shot out, pushing the large red button.
There was an audible clunk as the wings popped back into place. Their eyes met, and Jessie swore she saw an uncomfortable look pass over his face for a mere second. She regarded him for a moment more, amusement coursing through her.
"Let's see how he likes this," She thought to herself, as she turned on her heel and started to walk off, being sure to shake her hips as she went.
From behind her a few moments later, she was rewarded with the sound she was expecting to hear.
Ka-chunk.
