"To infinity, and beyond!" Buzz's voice box spoke when Bonnie pressed one of his buttons. The little girl ejected his wings, and pretended to fly him around the room. She picked up Jessie too.
"Come on, cowgirl!" Bonnie spoke through Buzz Lightyear. "Woody can't save the Potato Heads, himself!" She motioned towards the bed, where she had laid Woody on the bottom of the pillow as if he was climbing it. The Potato Heads stood on top, underneath a small laundry basket that Dolly was plopped on top of.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Bonnie fake cackled as Dolly. "You'll never reach your friends now, sheriff! Not without your two little friends to help!"
"Not today, witch!" Bonnie spoke as Buzz, pretending to fly him in with Jessie holding on. She knocked Dolly off the basket, who fell onto the floor right on top of the LGMs, allowing them to squeak.
"Hurray!" Bonnie cheered, taking the basket off to 'free' the Potato Heads.
"Okay, you." Mrs. Anderson said, walking into the room and smiling amusingly at her daughter's playtime behaviour. "Your dad wants to know if you want to order pizza."
The little girl perked up and turned around at the word 'pizza.' She quickly tossed Buzz and Jessie onto the bed and ran out her bedroom door, her mom closing it and laughing lightheartedly.
The toys came to life as soon as she was gone.
"Sorry there, little guys." Dolly said, getting off of the green aliens she was dropped on. The aliens got up as well, not minding at all. "Hope your mom doesn't mind."
"I don't." Mrs. Potato Head called from the bed. Dolly and the aliens both looked up at the bed from where her voice came from, smiling amusingly.
On top of the bed, Jessie and Buzz approached Woody and the Potato Heads. Mr. Potato Head took a sock off of his head.
"A laundry basket." Mr. Potato Head ridiculed. "Of all things, a laundry basket."
"Come on, Potato Head." Jessie said. "Ya gotta admit, that was a great playtime."
"It was exhilarating." Mrs. Potato Head agreed.
Mr. Potato Head through the sock aside. "Yea, I guess."
"Oh sure, you agree as soon as she does." Jessie pointed out. Mr. Potato Head shot her an angry look.
"You know what-"
"Guys, come on." Buzz said, before the spud could snap back. "Do we want to get into this now? Bonnie can come back at any moment, and you guys will be-"
"Bonnie's coming!" Hamm yelled from the floor. Everyone went into a flurry around the room, going back to their positions. Dolly went and laid back down on top of the aliens. Woody, Jessie, and Buzz all went limp on the bed. The Potato Heads ran back to the pillow, and Mr. Potato Head unwillingly put the sock back on his head. They both went lifelessly stiff.
"Where are my aliens?" Bonnie said, entering the room. She went and picked up the three aliens. "We're ordering pizza from your home planet, Pizza Planet!" Though she was frozen, Mrs. Potato Head's eyes shimmered watching the little girl she cared about take such good care of her children.
"Yes, and I would like it delivered to 1225 Sycamore." Mrs. Anderson said, standing in the doorway of Bonnie's bedroom and talking on her phone.
"The aliens need to get back to their home planet!" Bonnie said, indulging into a new playtime scenario. "But, how can they do that when One-eyed Bart and his attack dog want to stop them?" The little girl proceeded to also pick up Slinky and Mr. Potato Head.
"Okay, pizza is on it's way." Mrs. Anderson said, putting her phone back in her pocket. "Bonnie, you want to help me set the table?"
"Can some of my toys help?" Bonnie asked with big eyes, still holding Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, and the LGMs.
"Sure, honey." Mrs. Anderson said through a chuckle. Bonnie once again walked out the door with the five toys she was holding, her mom closing the door behind them. The toys came back to life, again.
"Pizza Planet." Buzz said. "Haven't heard that in a while."
"Speaking of which." Woody said, looking towards Mrs. Potato Head. "Have you guys decided on names for them, yet?"
"No, not yet." Mrs. Potato Head said, now more excited about the idea.
"Anything in mind?" Jessie asked.
"I'm not sure. I think something that defines the difference between the three of them." Mrs. Potato Head explained. "You know, that shows that they're not entirely the same."
"Seems valid." Woody said. "It's nice to know they're still individual."
Mrs. Potato Head nodded. "When you spend enough time with them, you can tell the difference between triplets."
Jessie smiled and put an arm around Buzz. "It's nice how much you care for them, Mrs. P."
Mrs. Potato Head also smiled. "Thank you, Jessie."
"By the sound of it, seems like we have another pizza delivery." The pizza toy said while him and the mother alien were in the trunk of the Pizza Planet truck. "I told you we'd be back in business by today."
"Back in business?" The mother alien ridiculed, peeking through the glass panel of the trunk into the driver's seat. The red-headed pizza delivery guy drove the truck, while the ordered pizza in it's delivery bag sat beside him.
She jumped back down to the floor of the trunk. "This isn't our business. We're merely advertisements for it."
"Are we? We've spent years in this trunk because the first guys who drove this agreed to hold onto us when there was no room in the arcade. Now we got red-head high school boy driving the truck." The pizza toy said, motioning to the driver.
"I suppose." The mother alien agreed. "Even the alien boys were here before us. But when we find them-"
"Let it go, already." The pizza toy said. "They hated you. Why do you think they tried running away so many times? No wonder they'd rather be with that potato that saved their lives."
"Oh, please. He caught them from flying out a window." The mother alien ridiculed. "Any fool can do that."
"I'm not talking about the window." The pizza toy said, putting his hands on his hips. "You know that they were grateful because he saved them from something else..."
The mother alien shot him an icy glare. "How dare you-"
"We're here." The pizza toy said, noticing the truck coming to a stop. The pizza delivery boy took the pizza and stepped out of the car, locking it behind him. The two toys peered out the window. The house was a cute, suburban, yellow panel home.
"1225...Sycamore." The pizza toy read from afar.
"Somewhat quaint I suppose." The mother alien said, eyeing the house. "What was the order?"
"A large cheese, half pepperoni." The pizza toy informed.
"Hm, I suppose a small family."
"Why is this our option for pastime?"
The mother alien shook her head, and continued to watch the pizza delivery guy carry the order to the door. He ran the doorbell, and a few moments later a woman with brown hair in a low back ponytail and glasses answered.
"Huh." The pizza toy leaned against the glass of the window out of boredom. "I was expecting a-"
The pizza toy was interrupted by the mother alien's loud gasp. He looked at the green toy with confusion, while she continued to stare wide-eyed at the door. The pizza toy looked towards the front door to see why she was shocked.
A brown-haired little girl stood next to her mother at the front door. She carried toys in her arms, a slinky dog, a Potato Head, and three squeeze toy aliens. The pizza toy stared at the toys in shock, too. In that moment, he didn't know what to believe.
"What did I tell you, pet?" The mother alien spoke. Her face was no longer shocked, and all of a sudden wicked looking. "Never say never."
The pizza toy stood frozen for a second, before shaking his head. "No, there's no way. For all we know, that's a different potato. And the aliens, those are sold at all Pizza Planet branches."
"No, look at the slinky dog." The mother alien pointed towards the dangling slinky dog in the little girl's arms. "He was in the car too, remember?"
The pizza toy sighed. "I know I'm gonna regret this...yeah, that's totally them."
The mother alien quickly jumped over to the edge of the back window of the trunk. She ran her hands along the bottom of the window, coming in contact with the lock. "Help me get this open, pet."
The pizza toy rolled his eyes, and proceeded to unwillingly help her unlatch the lock of the back window of the truck. They tugged on the latch, until it swung left. The mother alien looked back at the front door. The woman had finished paying and closed the door, as the delivery boy began to make his way back to the truck.
"Hurry, before we take off." The mother alien urged. The pizza toy proceeded to pushed on the glass window with his white muscular arms, until it was edged open a bit. The mother alien jumped out first, with the rubber pizza toy following after. As soon as his red rubber converse hit the concrete of the ground, the truck took off, blowing gas in their vision.
They coughed until the smoke cleared up, looking at the little suburban house in front of them. A smirk developed on the mother alien's face, as she began to walk from the street to the property.
"What's your plan, exactly?" The pizza toy ridiculed. "Marching up to the little girl and demanding that she give you her alien toys?"
"Don't be a jester." The alien snapped, as they snuck through the white picket fence onto the grass. "The girl must keep them in her dormitory."
"Bedroom." He corrected.
"Quiet, you."
They proceeded to walk around the left side of the house, crossing the parking lot and the garage.
"You don't think her room would be in the front?"
"Use your eyes, pet. That's where the common area and cookery is."
"It's a living room, and kitchen. Honestly, get a thesaurus."
"Sh!"
The two toys continued to walk around the side of the house, having to walk through some bushes. It was darker than it had been previous days, the sun setting early determined how fast autumn was already passing.
They approached a room at the other end, that had it's lights on in the room. There was only one way to find out for sure.
"Come on now, help me up." The mother alien said, climbing on top of an empty watering can. The pizza toy rolled his eyes, and climbed up as well. She climbed onto his shoulders, and boosted her up.
"Not all the way, pet. Just in case humans are in the room."
Her instincts were correct. The little girl that had stood at the front door with her mother seemed to have just entered the room, still carrying the slinky dog, Potato Head, and three squeaky aliens. She quickly put them on the ground, and ran out her bedroom door.
"The little scamp has ran off for her pizza, it's all clear." The mother alien said, hoisting herself onto the window sill. The pizza toy jumped and pulled himself up as well. They both looked through the window cautiously, not be seen.
The toys that laid scattered around the room all came to life. The two Pizza Planet toys kept their eyes on the Mr. Potato Head who patted his sons on their heads in a fatherly manner.
The mother alien eyed him with a bone chilling glare. "The kidnapper." She spat through gritted teeth.
"Well, you gotta admit, they look happier." The pizza toy said.
"Hush." The mother alien said. "Why is he so happy? He didn't look that way when-"
She stopped her sentence, when the aliens stopped playing with their father and ran to something else. A female Potato Head approached them, smiling. They ran and surrounded their mother in a hug. The male spud approached and put his arms around his family. He kissed the female spud on her cheek, who giggled ticklishly in return.
The mother alien's frozen stare was replaced with an icy smirk, once again. "Well, well. Looks like the kidnapper has a significant other."
The pizza toy let out a long whistle. "That's one hot potato." He said, lustily surveying Mrs. Potato Head.
The mother alien rolled her eyes. "Enough, you. We're here to get my aliens, and I won't let some vegetables stand in the way of it."
"Actually, a potato is really a starchy-"
"Hush!" The mother alien shouted. "We're marching in there, and getting them back."
"That's your plan? Nuh-uh. You wanna get those aliens back? We're doing it my way."
The mother alien looked towards the pizza toy, indignantly. "And what exactly is that?"
"We take this cautiously." the pizza toy explained. "Make it seem like we're not here for any specific purpose. Nothing abrupt."
"Fine."
Inside the room, the toys began to gather around in the middle. Woody approached the Potato Heads, smiling.
"You're a pretty cute family." the cowboy said. Mr. Potato arched an eyebrow.
"What's it to you, sheriff?" The spud responded, keeping his arm around his wife, who adoringly straightened one of her son's antenna.
"Well you know, the sooner we name your boys, the sooner it's safer for everyone." Buzz explained, many of the toys nodding in agreement. In response, Mr. Potato Head's mouth went open in shock.
"Wait a sec, you just want us to name them, just to keep yourselves all safe?" Mr. Potato Head ridiculed. "And I'm the one that's selfish."
"Think of it was promoting a cautious environment." Dolly suggested, giving an awkward smile.
Woody shook his head. "Guys, of course not. We just wanna help."
Mrs. Potato Head stopped straightening her son's antenna, and let her boys go off to play by themselves. "Well, I suppose suggestions could always help."
Woody smiled, and turned to the rest of the toys. "You heard 'em guys. Who's first?" Immediately, all the toys raised their hands eagerly. Mr. Potato Head eyed them all and leaned over to his wife.
"If we regret this, it might be your fault." The spud told his wife, who shook her head in response.
"Pricklepants?" Woody asked the hedgehog, who had his paw raised actively.
Mr. Pricklepants cleared his throat, and stepped forward. "You have three strapping young boys. They must take after a strong male figure."
Mr. Potato Head's annoyance was replaced with a flattered, egotistic look. He put his hands on his hips, proudly. "Well, I won't disagree to that."
"I was reffering to the space ranger." Pricklepants said, motioning to Buzz. Mr. Potato Head's expression dropped back to annoyance, while many of the toys exchanged snickers amongst each other.
"I get to veto anything I don't like, right?" Mr. Potato Head asked.
"Come on, let him finish." Woody urged. Pricklepants nodded.
"As I was saying." He continued. "They don't just deserve names, they deserve titles."
Mrs. Potato Head cracked a small smile. "That's very sweet."
"From Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Hamlet," the hedgehog said, "Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude."
Many of the toys exchanged some impressed looks, while the other half looked on judgementally. And of course, Mr. Potato Head wasn't impressed at all.
"Nope. I refuse." Mr. Potato Head said, crossing his arms.
"Just picture it-"
"No way, I'm not naming my kids after some drama characters." The male spud spat.
Mrs. Potato Head tried to secure the situation. "I think what he means to say is, they might be a little too...broad for our boys."
"Well, I think it's more of a dilemma that Gertrude was a girl." Hamm pointed out. Buttercup nodded in agreement.
"Why don't you guys name them something more modern?" The unicorn suggested. "Like James, Micheal, and Robert."
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize we were raising go-lucky suburban kids from the 50s." Mr. Potato Head joked. "What else?"
Hamm stepped forward. "Maybe Einstein, or-"
"Dismissed, next!"
"Oh!" Trixie chimed in. "When Rex and I play Space Warriors on the computer, we named our characters-"
"I don't even wanna know." Mr. Potato Head said, before Trixie could answer.
"Oh, forget it!" Jessie yelled, quieting the room. "Potato Head, if you can't take suggestions, just pick your own names."
"Pleasure." Mr. Potato Head said. He turned to his wife. "Anything you had in mind?"
Mrs. Potato Head looked towards all their friends. "Well, they're all great suggestions-"
Mr. Potato Head let out a snort, and his wife nudged him. "But, I think their names should capture why they're different. I mean, that's one of the best parts about being a toy, right? Having a name that can be interpretive."
Woody and Buzz smiled, while exchanging a look.
Mrs. Potato Head looked towards her boys in the corner, and back at her husband. "I think you can take the final lead."
Mr. Potato Head smiled at his wife in return, and looked at their sons. They've noticed differences about their kids for a long time now, and it was time to put it to use.
One of the aliens pushed at a styrofoam soccer ball that Bonnie had left lying around. He gave it a harder push, scoring in between Bonnie's plastic play tea set, and a worn out colouring book as though it was a soccer net. When he scored, the alien jumped in amusement.
"Okay." Mr. Potato Head said pointing to the first alien, "that one there, that's, uh...Champ."
They looked towards the second alien, who approached a loan piece of loose leaf. Without hesitation, the second alien proceeded to fold the paper with his green little hands into a perfectly made paper airplane. He threw it, and it flew past the rest of the toys who ducked so it wouldn't hit them.
"That's...Brainy." Mr. Potato Head said, looking at the second alien.
They looked towards the final alien, who met up with his two other brothers. The LGMs hoisted themselves up onto a stack of books. Well, at least the first two did. The third lagged a bit, struggling to hoist his tiny body onto a thin pile of books. He finally squirmed his way up, before he tripped back and his brothers pulled him in before he could fall.
Mr. Potato Head shook his head. "And that's Squirt."
Mrs. Potato Head pondered for a second. "Champ, Brainy, and Squirt." She repeated. "It seems right."
Mr. Potato Head smiled, and took both of his wife's hands in his, lovingly. "I think I just named our kids."
"Yeah, after a decade of having them." Hamm commented. Though her husband was annoyed with the piggy bank as usual, Mrs. Potato Head couldn't help but smile. Her boys finally had names that really showed their individuality.
"There you go, guys!" Buzz said, encouragingly. "Sometimes things are way easier than we-"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The loud noise startled all of the toys. Thinking it was Bonnie returning to her room, instinct kicked in and everyone ran back to place and went lifeless. The little girl didn't arrive at the predicted time rate that she usually did. In fact, she didn't show up at all. They stood frozen for a good while, but were all confused. One by one, everyone raised their heads, and eventually rolled back onto their feet. Looks were exchanged amongst everyone.
"What the ham hock was that?" Hamm asked first, breaking the silence. No one responded, and kind of just stood in place in case it really was Bonnie coming back. Buzz stepped forward towards the door, while giving back-hand military signs to Woody, who tip toed ahead of Buzz near the door. They waited a few more moments, and it was silent.
Woody looked back at everyone. "Might've just been the wind."
"Wind isn't that loud." Dolly said.
"Uh, guys?" Rex spoke up. Everyone turned to look at the dinosaur, expecting it to have been something he might've done by accident. Instead of looking back at them, Rex had his back turned and looked up at Bonnie's window.
Everyone looked up as well, and were surprised to see two strange toys looking down at them from the other side of the window. One seemed to be a rubber pizza with feet, arms, and a face. The other was some sort of queen alien.
And she didn't look happy.
"Uh, I think we have company." Hamm said, stepping forward to get a better look at the toys they've never seen before. Buzz came and stood by the piggy bank. The space ranger ejected is helmet so there was no glare, and he could get a better look at the toys.
"From the looks of it, I'd say we've got visitors from Pizza Planet." Buzz said, recognizing the Pizza Planet symbol on the alien's crown.
"Pizza Planet?" Jessie said, "how is that possib-"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! The female alien once again angrily knocked on the window three times. All the toys jumped at the unexpected loud noise of her fist hitting against the glass. She gave a cold lock stare at them, displeasure boiling in her three blue eyes.
"Geez, who pulled on her antenna?" Mr. Potato Head scorned at the newcomer.
It was just then that everyone heard an abrupt amount of squeaking noise. Everyone looked towards the LGMs, who hastily ran towards Bonnie's open closet. Never had anyone seen them run so fast. As soon as they were at the closet, they threw themselves inside and Champ closed the door behind them.
"What's the matter with them?" Buttercup asked. The Potato Heads exchanged a look, having no idea.
THUMP! THUMP! The female alien knocked on the window for a third time, then yelling some afterwards that was muffled by the glass.
"Buzz, help me get this open." Woody said, climbing up onto the window sill. The space ranger followed, and they both unlatched the window lock and pushed it up and open. As soon as it was open, the mother alien put her hands on her hips.
Mrs. Potato Head didn't know what it was, but as soon as the two toys crossed the threshold of the house, something unsettling bubbled inside her. She's felt this feeling before, but only when she was worried for someone's safety. She crossed her arms, trying to make herself seem slightly smaller. Unnoticeable.
"Three times until you decided to answer?" The mother alien spoke, bitterly. Woody and Buzz once again exchanged a look.
"Don't mind her, she's had ants in her pants since day one." The pizza toy explained.
"Sorry, we have a kid in the house. We first thought it was her." Woody explained.
"Yes, we could tell when you all went limp." The female alien hissed.
The pizza toy rolled his eyes and gave his hand to Buzz. "The name's Pizza Man."
Buzz shook his hand in return. "Buzz Lightyear, at your service." He was unaware of Pizza Man's recognition of him when they stole the Pizza Delivery truck all those years ago.
"Psst, check out the arms on him, spud head." Hamm whispered to Mr. Potato Head. "Like yours, but you know, actually strong."
"Put a cork in it, will ya?" Mr. Potato Head whispered back. "I could so take him in a fight."
"I'd pay money to see that go down."
Pizza Man, Woody, Buzz, and the mother alien jumped down from the window sill onto the floor.
"And you are?" Jessie asked the mother alien, who had not yet introduced herself. The female alien gave a side glance to Pizza Man, who subtly nodded. He was right, taking this too abruptly might prevent her from getting what she wants.
"The Martian Queen." She finally said. "Queen Martian, is fine." The queen offered her hand to Jessie, but eyed Mr. Potato Head very suspiciously. Mr. Potato Head merely arched an eyebrow at her glare.
"Well howdy, glad to meet ya." Jessie said as her chipper self, shaking Queen Martian's hand roughly. The mother alien was taken by surprise, but pressed her lips together firmly so she wouldn't lose her cool.
"So, you folks are from Pizza Planet?" Dolly chimed in, being friendly.
"Yeah, one of the delivery trucks." Pizza Man explained.
"Oh, you guys must've came from the truck from their delivery." Woody concluded. "What brings you here?"
Queen Martian and Pizza Man's eyes both widened. They exchanged a look.
"Well, um...we've just been spending years in that delivery truck, and we were tired of it." The Pizza Man lied. "We don't plan on staying here, we just needed to jump off somewhere."
Queen Martian slowly nodded along with Pizza Man's lie, hoping the toys would buy it. As soon as Woody nodded in believment, they both relaxed a bit. From there perspective, it seemed the sheriff was the leader. Eventually, conversation broke everywhere, and the two newcomers were talking to each of the toys one by one.
But, Queen Martian was only interested in two specific spuds across the way.
So was Pizza Man, but for different reasons.
"Can I just say, ma'am," Pizza Man said to Mrs. Potato Head. "There must be something wrong with my eyes, because I can't seem to take them off you." He gave a little flick of his pepperoni moustache. Mrs. Potato Head widened her eyes a bit, while Queen Martian rolled her's.
Mr. Potato Head shot a displeased look at the flirtatious toy. "Hey, keep it in your crust, will ya?"
Pizza Man put put his hands up in defence. "My bad. My apologies, ma'am."
"Married couple, huh?" Queen Martian crossed her arms across her chest. She glared daggers at Mr. Potato Head. "In a group full of single toys."
"Oh, you get used to it." Mrs. Potato Head said, her husband nodding in agreement. "Besides, we're not the only couple that has sprouted." The female spud looked across the room at Jessie and Buzz.
Mr. Potato Head scoffed. "Yeah, took them long enough. After years of crushing on each other and not doing anything about it."
Queen Martian looked towards Jessie and Buzz, too. She gave a disgusted look. "A cowgirl and space ranger, an odd pair."
"Eh, it makes more sense when you know them better." Mr. Potato Head waved a dismissing hand. "And that's coming from me."
"Only interested in your own love life, are you?" Pizza Man asked.
Mr. Potato Head nodded. "Guilty as charge. My wife is a better love expert. She has an eye for this stuff, right honey?"
She didn't answer, and Mr. Potato Head looked towards his wife. Mrs. Potato Head eyed Queen Martian very suspiciously, who was looking around the Potato Heads rather than right at them. She looked left and right as though she was looking for something.
The same unsettling feeling bubbled inside Mrs. Potato Head, again. She didn't like it. Mrs. Potato Head gave a stern look to Queen Martian. "Is there a problem?"
Queen Martian stopped looking around, and looked at Mrs. Potato Head. She noticed her firm stare, and glared back. "As a matter of fact, I-"
"Listen, this was great." Pizza Man interrupted, now talking to everyone. "we've gotta go, but maybe we'll see you all soon?"
"Why don't y'all come back tomorrow? Bonnie will be at daycare." Jessie said.
"Yeah, we can help you guys if you're looking for a place to go." Woody said.
Pizza Man nodded. "I won't disagree to that." Many of the toys nodded along friendly-like, suspecting nothing.
The toys led them back to the window. "Ever heard of Sunnyside? We have friends there who can..."
Behind the group of toys Mr. Potato Head stood at the end. "Something's not right about those pizza freaks." Mr. Potato Head said to his wife. She didn't respond. The spud turned around to realize she wasn't there anymore, and that she had walked over to the closet and had began to shift it open. Mr. Potato Head walked over, as his wife stared inside. Her back was turned, so he didn't know what to suspect.
Mr. Potato Head looked inside the closet at his three boys. They shook in fear underneath a fallen towel, their eyes full of something neither of the Potato Heads have ever seen in their lifetime. Mrs. Potato Head looked at her husband with a perplexed look, as he reflected practically the same thing.
Something wrong had washed over the threshold of the room, and they were the only ones who've noticed.
To be continued...