I'm pretty sure this is the last of the stories I had in this collection before I took it down for whatever reason.

This one is a Buzz and Woody friendship, though on a second read-through, it does have a hint of slash, but please don't let that deter you. I don't think it will ruin the story if you don't like the pairing.


.:Nightmares and Dreams:.


Woody shot awake with an audible gasp for the seventh night in a row. His eyes darted around the room anxiously as if he feared he wasn't out of his nightmare yet. Soon, he managed to get his breath under control and heaved a sigh of relief.

It was all a dream yet again.

Just noticing how his arms were wrapped tightly around himself, Woody grimaced before slowly letting them fall to their respective sides. The cowboy doll knitted his eyebrows together as he stared down at the comforter in thought. This was the seventh night in a row that his nightmare had plagued him. It didn't make any sense why it chose to come back to haunt him after all this time. It had been years since the incident and ever since then, his life had been as normal as it gets for a toy.

So why? Why come back after all these years?

Huffing, Woody slowly pulled himself to his feet. There'd be no falling back asleep tonight he knew, might as well get up and do something instead of laying still and thinking about it.

Careful not to wake Bonnie or the few toys up on the bed with her, Woody made his way to the end of the bed before hopping off it, landing with a soft thud. Glancing up at the bed, he waited to see or hear if he had woken anyone, but after several seconds of silence, Woody smiled and made his way over to the dresser.

Meanwhile, up on the nightstand, a sly Buzz Lightyear opened an azure eye. Unfreezing, he watched Woody scale the dresser as Buzz had seen him do nights before and then sit in front of the window with his head in his hands.

Buzz had been wanting to approach the cowboy lately on what had been keeping him up at night. He heard him wake from his sleep every night, sometimes accompanied by a startled yelp or most often a heavy gasp. The night that had almost caused the space ranger to approach the toy was the night Woody had woken up crying. Buzz had instantly known whatever was plaguing him at night was worse than just some petty nightmare if it made Woody cry. Buzz had never seen Woody cry and the sound of it had scared him and had ended up haunting him that night.

As Buzz watched Woody's form begin to shake, he narrowed his eyes. No. He wouldn't let another night pass without knowing what had Woody so rattled. He watched him during the day and had noticed how he made extra sure every one of them was present at the morning meetings. He noticed the fearful look behind his eyes whenever Bonnie played with them a bit rough.

What had scared him so was what Buzz longed to know. He longed to see his best friend smile again—a real smile, not the ones he always supplied him with during the day. Buzz could read him too well to know his smiles now held absolutely no happiness whatsoever. Buzz wanted Woody to return back to his usual self and he wanted to be the one to bring the old Woody back. He didn't want anyone's help.

Woody had been the only one to help Buzz see how great it was to be a toy years and years ago. When he had been the one filled with sadness and regrets, Woody had been there to bring light into his life; and ever since he had, Buzz had kept a special part of his heart open only to Woody.

It was time Buzz tried to return the favor.

Quickly and quietly, Buzz jumped off the nightstand and followed Woody's previous steps to the dresser. As he began to climb and approached the top, he could make out the sound of stifled sobs and Buzz's heart nearly broke. In all his years of knowing Woody—of being best friends—Buzz had never seen the cowboy like this. It killed Buzz inside and he was determined not to call it a night until Woody was back to his jubilant, if not stubborn, self.

Woody still hadn't acknowledged Buzz's presence and Buzz figured he probably hadn't even heard his approach. He stared at his friend and sighed at how broken and defeated he looked. Once he caught his gaze lingering, however, Buzz shook his head and reminded himself why he was there.

"Woody?"

Buzz had tried to use as quiet a voice as possible, but Woody still ended up jumping at the sound. His arm immediately went to his eyes as though to wipe away tears even though Buzz knew toys couldn't cry.

But, seeing as Buzz had been surprised by so much lately, he wouldn't really be so shocked to find out if they could.

"Buzz," Woody said back. "What are you doing awake?"

It was obvious to Buzz that he had been as close to crying as a toy could get by the tone in his voice.

"I…heard you get up," Buzz replied honestly. "You had another nightmare…didn't you?"

Woody looked up to him and the broken look in Woody's eyes nearly brought Buzz to his knees.

"How do you know?"

Buzz looked away from him, not able to hold Woody's gaze no matter how much he wanted to.

"I hear you every night. You wake up panting, or screaming and once I heard you crying." Buzz made a point to look at him as he said, "Woody, I'm worried about you. I'm hoping you can enlighten me on what's wrong so I won't have to worry so much."

This time Woody looked away from him.

"It's nothing, Buzz, just some stupid nightmares," he mumbled, a bitter undertone to his voice.

He looks back at his friends as he feels himself slipping, not only on the slight incline but in consciousness as well. He reaches out for his friends for help and sees Buzz reach back. He extends his hand as far as it will stretch.

He brushes fingertips with Buzz before he yells out in pain, his hand retracting to beat the flames slowly inching up his body. He looks behind him to see the fire growing bigger the more he approaches it. Flames lash out at him and catch on to different parts of his body.

Buzz reaches out for him again, but suddenly the incline increases and he slides into the fire. He hears Buzz and the rest of his friends yell his name before the sound of his own screaming tunes them out. The flames engulf his body, melt his hands and face. The pain grows unbearable and he only wishes for it to end.

Woody shuddered violently to which Buzz replied, "It doesn't seem like a 'stupid nightmare' to me."

Woody shot him his best glare, but it ended up only being a spark, the haunted look now overpowering anything else.

Buzz sat beside him and hesitated before pulling Woody to his side, arm draped over the cowboy's shoulder. Woody accepted the comfort and let his head fall on Buzz's shoulder. Buzz swallowed a knot in his throat when he heard Woody sniffling again. This isn't right. Never in a million years would Buzz have guessed something could cause Woody to become this distraught.

"Will you please tell me what's wrong?" Buzz asked him in between sobs. "You helped me through a rough time in my life, I want to return the favor to you."

Woody coughed and heaved in a shaky breath before looking to Buzz. They locked eyes and Buzz could tell that Woody desperately wanted to tell him what's wrong but couldn't find the strength to relive it again.

Understanding, Buzz squeezed his shoulder, silently telling him to take his time.

They sat there awhile like that, Woody breaking out into an occasional sob or shiver. Buzz kept his arm around Woody as he gazed out the window, patiently waiting for Woody to speak.

Buzz lost track of how much time had passed before he felt Woody shift out of his hold, letting him know he was ready to talk.

"I keep dreaming about that time in the incinerator," he began, and Buzz immediately cringed at his own memories. "Most of the times I'm further down than the rest of you and I keep reaching for your hand, but can never reach. The incline we were one increases all of a sudden and I fall into the flames."

Woody shivered again, but continued. "It feels so real I feel the pain. I feel my clothes catching on fire,I feel my face melting…it's horrible." The last part was nothing but a whisper. "Then, sometimes, when I reach out for you, you just look at me and don't help me. None of you attempt to help me and just watch me fall to my death."

Buzz's heart plunged to the bottom of his stomach at that. He hopes Woody knows he would never deny him help. He needed to make sure…

"Woody, you know I'd never hesitate to help you, right?" he questioned carefully.

Buzz felt another part of him shatter when he watched Woody slowly shake his head.
"I…honestly don't know anymore, Buzz," the cowboy whispered. "I keep telling myself you'll help me the next time, but…sometimes you don't."

Buzz swallowed again. He was about to say something when Woody looked back at him, the fear in his eyes directed at Buzz personally this time.

"The worst one was when it was you who was reaching out for help and so close to the flames," he said. "You reached out for help and I remember actually sliding further down in order to reach you. I knew how this was going to end and I wanted to do everything in my power to save you…but…" he trailed off and Buzz predicted his next words, "I couldn't save you."

Buzz thought awhile on what he should say. He watched Woody glance away from him again and studied the fear still present in his eyes. He knew he should try and cheer Woody up, but there was still one question nagging at the back of his brain.

"Why didn't you tell anyone the first night it happened?" he asked instead.

Why didn't you tell me? he thought, wishing he had the guts to actually say it aloud.

Woody shrugged. "I thought it would go away. I kept wishing it would go away," he said.

Buzz didn't say anything and pitied his friend. Woody broke out of Buzz's hold and sighed as he looked out the window.

"I feel so stupid, letting a nightmare affect me this much. Everyone calls me the leader; I'm supposed to be brave and respected…but I'm nothing more than a coward."

Something inside Buzz snapped at that and he couldn't stop the words before they were out of his mouth.

"Woody! You are not a coward! Everyone has nightmares and everyone handles them differently. You can't be mad at yourself for this. The incinerator was terrifying; it makes sense you're still having nightmares over it. We all almost lost our lives that day! You will get over it in time, just like everyone else did. Just having nightmares doesn't automatically make you a coward. You know none of us would ever think you were one! Especially me!"

He caught himself before he went too far and shut his mouth to gauge Woody's reaction. He was sitting before him wide-eyed and it was only then Buzz realized he had stood up in the middle of his tirade.

"I'll help you through this, Woody," he told him, lowering his voice and sitting back down. "We all will, if you'll let us."

Woody absorbed all of what he had said and Buzz smiled when he saw Woody's mouth twitch up into a small duplicate.

"You're exactly right, Buzz," he told him, agreeing full-heartedly. "I guess…I just needed someone to beat it into me."

"What are friends for, partner?" Buzz rhetorically asked, slapping a hand on the cowboy's back.

The two toys had then fallen into a comfortable silence as the first signs of the day ahead could be seen on the horizon. Woody had taken the time to pick himself back up and think about what Buzz had said to him. He closed his eyes briefly and was elated when he wasn't met with a fiery inferno, just a soothing black. Buzz kept his gaze steady out the window, proud with himself for seemingly cheering Woody up. He had done what he wanted. He had completed his mission.

"You know," Woody broke the silence, surprising Buzz ever-so-slightly, "it wasn't every night I had that nightmare. Sometimes it didn't come and I actually had pleasant dreams. Dreams about all the guys and us, dreams about Bonnie, good dreams about Sunnyside, reliving memories with Andy, and even dreaming that he comes back to play with us now and then."

"That's good," Buzz replied. "It's good you didn't have that nightmare every night, but, obviously you had it enough to affect you as it did."

"Do you ever have nightmares, Buzz?" Woody then asked.

Buzz looked at him strangely. "Of course I do. Why?"

Woody merely shrugged. "You're Buzz Lightyear; I can't imagine you ever being frightened by something."

Buzz felt flattered by the compliment, yet replied, "That doesn't mean I don't get scared. Everyone has fears, Woody, even the strongest person in the world."

"What were your nightmares about?" Woody asked. Upon seeing Buzz flinch, however, he added, "I mean…you don't have to tell me. I'm just being nosy."

Buzz shook his head, however, surprising Woody. "You told me yours, it's only fair I tell you mine."

Woody cracked a smile and joked, "You're never this giving, Buzz. Why the sudden change?"

This time it's was Buzz's time to shrug. "I don't know. Maybe it's because you're my best friend, maybe it's something else."

Woody smiled at that, but remained silent waiting to hear Buzz speak again.

"The first nightmare I ever had—and you can't get mad at me for this—was about you…back when we first met. We were at Sid's, my arm was broken off and the 'cannibal toys' surrounded me. Except, that time, you didn't yell at them to get away from me, you joined in. And instead of fixing my arm, you broke off my other one," he remembered.

Woody winced. He really wasn't surprised Buzz had nightmares involving him like that. He had been pretty nasty to him when they had first met. Woody remembered having a nightmare involving Buzz hurting Andy back around that time as well, though it wasn't nearly as bad as his most recent one.

"Then, after we got to Bonnie's," Buzz continued, "I had a nightmare my demo self took control and started hurting all of you. It was even worse then back at Sunnyside because instead of just feeling passed out as I did then, I was stuck watching and helpless to do anything."

"Wow, Buzz," was all Woody could say at first. Then as an afterthought, he added, "I never knew. You always hid your distress really well."

"Honestly, I was like you in a way," he said, turning to Woody. "I didn't want to share with anyone and thought they'd eventually go away—which they did. Like I said, nightmares affect everyone differently. I was able to suppress mine until I forgot about them and realized they were just dreams."

"You're stronger than me in that sense, then," Woody mumbled. "I wasn't able to suppress that nightmare, no matter how hard I tried."

Buzz put his hand on Woody's shoulder again and said sternly, yet with a smile on his face, "Forget about it."

Woody matched his smile. "Can do."

The sun was slowly rising off in the distance now and Buzz and Woody averted their attention to it.

"The sun's already coming up," Woody pointed out. "We should probably get back to bed before Bonnie wakes up."

Buzz agreed and, together, they prepared the climb back down the dresser. Before Woody began his descent, however, he turned to Buzz.

"Thanks again, Buzz," he said with a genuine smile, "for not giving up on me and all and being a friend when I needed one most."

Buzz felt something inside him flutter at Woody's words and smiled a goofy smile.

"Don't mention it, cowboy," he had managed to say before Woody turned around and actually began to climb down.

And as Buzz watched Woody make his way back to the bed, Buzz couldn't help feeling he had just missed out on the chance to turn one of his dreams into reality.


Please review and I'll work on getting some new stories into this collection. (And I won't take it down this time!)