2:


This was it, Bo realized. The book she held in her hands held every secret. Every question she had ever dared would be answered. Finally she and Woody would be together and...

Where was that music coming from?

She turned the book to the back. Nothing. She flipped through the pages. Nothing.

"Doo doo doo doo doo doo..."

She had to make it stop! How could she read the secret of how to break through Woody's walls if that song was blasting?

"Doo doo doo DOO doo doo doo..."

Stop! Stop! I've been searching for this my whole life! You're ruining it! You're...


Someone was shaking her shoulder. "Bo, wake up!" Groggily, Bo opened her baby blue eyes. Woody's face, full of concern, was in front of hers.

The music. It was still playing.

It was the "Jeopardy Think Song." It had invaded her dream. Well, ruined her dream was more like it.

"We fell asleep!" Woody was saying. "Look how late it is! 'Jeopardy' is almost over! Andy will be off the school bus soon!"

As he grabbed the remote and tried to switch to the previous channel in a panic, Bo stood on the sofa cushions. Her feet were still prickling from being pushed under her legs and as she rose, she began to sway.

Seeing her clumsily rock and forth, Woody dropped the remote and jumped up. "Whoa, watch out!" he cried. She took a stumble and fell into his arms.

Déjà vu, she thought, looking up at him. Happy, happy déjà vu...

Unlike that first day, though, the first day when they had met and she had tripped getting out of her box, Woody didn't jump to set her right. True he was just as red, but now he just held her. They were face to face.

"Uh, I, uh..." he swallowed audibly. "Are you okay, Bo?"

Better than ever. "I'm fine."

"Well, um..." Neither of them made a move.

This is the perfect moment, she thought. What are you waiting for? Kiss me. I know you want to. Oh curse your adorable shyness. Maybe I should just...Would that scare you off?

She had no time for decisions. The family minivan was pulling in the driveway. Through the window, they could see Andy jump out of the passenger side.

"She picked him up," Woody's voice was tinged with horror. "She picked him up! We have to go! Now!"

He jumped to the floor and waited for her to climb after him. As her shoes touched the ground, he grasped her hand and began to run to the open living room archway.

"We just have to make it to the stairs," he said in the hall. "Once we're there, we'll be..."

He froze. The key was in the door. It was turning.

Bo turned her head. The hall closet had been left open, the door popped out of the frame. She tugged out on his vest. "Woody!"

He followed her gaze. "The closet! Quick!"

Racing towards the doorway, the two dolls slipped inside just as the front door opened and the humans entered.

"Don't worry," Woody whispered reassuringly to Bo. His breath was warm and despite the situation, she felt a tingle on her cheek. "They'll find us when they put away their coats and take us back to the..."

"Andy, don't bother putting away your coat," Mom's voice called from the outside. "I'm getting the potato casserole and then we're going right back out."

Woody frowned, then he gave her a shrug. Well, Bo knew, at least they could escape when the family left.

"I don't wanna go to Grandma's," Andy could be heard whining.

"Andrew Stanton Davis, we already talked about this and the discussion is over."

Bo looked at Woody, whose brow was furrowed, perplexed. Andy wasn't a whiny kid who argued.

"But 'The Adventure Begins' is on tonight! I wanna see it! All my friends are gonna watch it! They'll be talking about it tomorrow and I'll be the only one who..."

There were footsteps outside the closet. "I don't care if they announce the OJ verdict tonight. We are going to Grandma's." The footsteps stopped. "Huh, I thought I closed this this morning." The door shut.

They were trapped.

Without thinking, Bo slipped her hand through Woody's. He squeezed it.

Andy's voice broke through the door. "I can't find Woody!"

The declaration made Woody wince as though he'd been stung by a yellow jacket.

"Where did you leave him last?"

"On my bed!"

"Well did you look underneath? Maybe he fell."

"He's not under the bed, he's not under the covers, he's not on the floor..."

With every call the child made, the Cowboy's face became more and more miserable. Bo knew that for Woody there was nothing worse in the world than not being there for Andy, and her heart ached for him.

"You'll just have to do without him tonight."

"BUT MOM..."

"Andy, stop stalling! Grandma and your sister are waiting!"

There was the sound of shoes on wooden floors, then the clicking of the door being locked. Then all was quiet.