Jack slowly trotted through the house, carrying his princess on his back. She was very quiet but tightly gripped his collar and the scruff of his neck. Mitsy was worriedly looking up at the window sills and in the corners, actually afraid some of the Spikes Toy Gang members might be lurking there. Jack finally halted and blew out a breath. He turned his head back. "You okay, honey?" He asked tenderly.
"No. Are you?" Mitsy asked back in a timid voice.
"I'm fine." Jack shrugged, but inwardly he wasn't. His cotton hackles were on edge, and he was glancing around out of the corners of his eyes up at the window sills, in the corners, any place he suspected a low-life might be hiding. He wasn't about to let anything happen to his good friends, especially Mitsy. He'd almost failed her once, but never again!
"It's too quiet in here." Mitsy said said nervously. "Could we go a little closer back to Bonnie's bedroom?"
"You go ahead. I'll...I'll stay here." Jack said, intending to stay here and keep a lookout for any trouble.
"Oh, please. Will you go with me?" Mitsy begged.
"Oh, all right. Sure." Jack nodded. They reached the hall and stopped close to Bonnie's bedroom where they could hear familiar, comforting voices of their friends. Jack sat down and Mitsy leaned close to him, clasping her arms tightly around his leg and bicep. He kept his ears alert for any foreign sounds. "Look," Jack said confidently, "I know you're scared, Precious. But, I'm right here, and all of us are together. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Jack licked the top of her head.
"I...I know." Mitsy sighed. "It's just that..."
"I know." Jack nodded. Buzz, Woody, and Jessie came out at that moment.
"Everything okay?" Buzz asked, noticing how uneasy the princess and the dog appeared. Jack blinked and Mitsy subtly shrugged.
"It was so good to see Matt again." Mitsy said, trying to be positive. "But...but then the Falcon showed up. How can Matt be friends with someone like him?"
"I don't know." Buzz shook his head. Jack didn't say anything.
"Matt did say that he knows of the bird's past, and that the guy has changed his ways." Woody remarked with his arms folded. "But personally, I still don't like having to look at him after what he and his cronies did to all of us."
"If it wasn't settin' a bad example for the youngins, I'd have given him what for!" Jessie huffed.
Everyone slightly chuckled, knowing full well that Jessie would, but they all shared her distaste. "Do...do you think that low-life could be up to something?"
"I don't want to think that way." Woody replied.
"So far, the falcon has not given us any indication that he means any harm..." Buzz stated.
"And you believe him?!" Jessie sputtered.
"I didn't say that." Buzz said defensively. "No, I don't trust that piece of plastic as far as I can throw him. But as long as he hasn't made any threats, let's try to carry on as if he wasn't here." Buzz suggested.
"Buzz is right," Woody reluctantly agreed. "But, I think it would be a good idea to keep a sharp eye on things around here, just to be safe."
"Can't argue with you there." Buzz said.
"That would really make me feel a little better." Mitsy added. Woody glanced at her and touched her shoulder.
"You doing okay, Little Bit?" He asked. "How are you holding up?" He remembered how much she'd been emotionally harassed the night at the warehouse and how much danger she and everyone else had been put in. All of them still had emotional scars from it, and now it seemed that they were being reopened before completely healing.
"Mph," Mitsy shrugged. "At least we're home, and together." She sighed.
"That's right." Jessie piped up. "Don't worry, Your Highness. Those filthy varmints will never hurt us in our own house. They wouldn't dare! Not after the good whomp we gave them!" Mitsy smiled.
"They'd better not if they know what's good for them." She said, trying to be cheerful. "Just seeing the bird again...brings back a lot of unpleasant memories."
"I know." Jessie nodded with a sigh.
"It sure does." Woody added. "Jack? You okay, partner? You've been awfully quiet." The large dog glanced at the cowboy.
"Things on my mind." He grunted. They all understood completely.
The toys were all in a state of uncertainty after Matthew's visit. They weren't sure if other members of the Spikes Toy Gang would show up or not. Some of them suggested that Matthew and the rest of their new neighbors should be banned from coming to Bonnie's house again, but Woody and Buzz contradicted them. However, they all agreed that the falcon would not be welcome in Bonnie's house and that if Matthew did decide to visit again, the falcon was not to come along. If after a while, the falcon still showed no intentions of harm, they would observe him. Playtime with Bonnie was a refreshing breather to take their minds off their fears.
It was still only the day of Matt's first visit, but Woody and Buzz had come up with a plan and had explained it to all their friends so that they wouldn't lose their heads. The male toys all secretly agreed that at night, Woody, Buzz, Hamm, Potato Head, Jack, Totoro, and Buttercup would keep watch throughout the house, in case one of their old gang enemies showed up. They decided to give it a trial period of one week, and if nothing bad happened by then, then they would
The toys who had not been at the warehouse the night of the imprisonment all tried to carry on with their usual routines as did everyone else, but for Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Jack, Slinky, Mitsy, Rex, Trixie, and Potato Head, it was especially difficult not to focus on their memories from when the gang had kept them as hostages.
"They certainly weren't very friendly." Iris muttered with her arms crossed.
"Yes, they were." Matthew argued. "It's just that..."
"It was when I showed up that they became ticked off." Falcon spoke up.
"Can you blame them?" Matthew groaned.
"I don't like them." Iris snarled.
"Iris? Why not?" Alice interjected. "I thought they were some very nice toys."
"So do I!" Katan agreed. "I think they're pretty cool."
"Well, maybe they're not that bad." Iris rolled her eyes. But I sure don't like her! She thought heatedly, but stared at Matthew with a wry smile.
"Look," Matthew spoke up. "I used to know Woody and those other guys. They're good toys. They wouldn't be this impolite without a good reason. And, I hope you understand, Fal, but I don't blame them one bit for getting shook up." The Falcon pursed his beak. "But, I feel that there is something I need to clear up. I'll go talk with the Sheriff tonight."
"If he'll even let you in." Iris snarked. Matthew stared at her.
"He will." He sighed heavily. "Woody may be very protective, but he's pretty reasonable. And I've never known a better group of fellows willing to give a toy a break, or at least Buzz and Woody."
You sure that's what you're really going for? Iris thought to herself. We're your real friends, Mattie boy. Don't you forget that. Or have you already?
"Hey, Your Highness?" Dolly greeted, tapping Mitsy's shoulder. Mitsy gasped and jumped from her sitting position in surprise. Jack was lying on the floor a few feet away, to make sure no troublemakers appeared.
"Yikes! Dolly, you startled me!" Mitsy nervously laughed, holding her chest.
"Sorry." Dolly apologized. "Hey, it's girls' night tonight. Bonnie said so, and she'll be through with dinner soon. So, you ready, are you?"
"Oh, right." Mitsy gulped. "I forgot." She glanced at Jack. He didn't like her out of his sight, especially since today, but he understood that none of them would have peace of mind if they all just remained frozen everywhere. He smiled warmly and nodded. Mitsy gulped: she didn't want to leave him either."S-sure." She stood up and walked with Dolly who put her felt arm around her shoulder.
"Hey, are you all right, Your Highness?" Dolly asked. "You've seemed edgy and down in the mouth today. That's not like you."
"I have some things on my mind." Mitsy sighed.
"Mmm-hmm." Dolly quipped. "You mean like that handsome sergeant that was here today?"
"No," Mitsy said emphatically. "Well, not in that way. I remembering some things we don't like thinking about." She was referring to their night at the warehouse when they'd been held hostage by the Spikes Toy Gang.
"Yeah, that cute guy caused quite a stir when he arrived, didn't he?" Dolly persisted.
"He didn't." Mitsy frowned.
"I know that." Dolly said more seriously. "Look, Bonnie will be in soon. And we don't her to find any long faces, now do we?"
"No." Mitsy tried to smile.
After quickly glancing around, sniffing and listening for anything foreign, Jack stood up and cautiously followed the two dolls. Having been trained as an undercover 'thug', they didn't even know he was around and he was grateful for that. He wanted to keep his loved ones safe without appearing overprotective, as did Woody and Buzz. In fact, the two of them both approached the big dog right now. "Psst. Jack?" Buzz whispered.
"Oh, hi, guys." Jack turned his head toward them.
"So, how are things looking?" Woody asked.
"All clear down here." Jack said.
"Copy that." Buzz added.
"Guys? Do you think we're overreacting?" Woody sighed. "You think we're making something out of nothing?"
"Noo!" Buzz and Jack both growled. "Woody, after what happened that night? No, I think we're doing exactly what we should be doing, keeping our family safe."
"And making sure they feel safe." Jack said firmly. "Don't forget, fellows: I was in that rat hole for six years, trying to make a difference for the prisoners without my goons knowing anything. After running around with that crowd, and..." Jack paused, "...and we all know how sickening they are. If I ever see any of them, any of them again raise a harmful hand against my friends, they'll wish they never ran into me again!" Jack vented with a dose of bitterness, and both Woody and Buzz picked up on a flicker in his usually soft brown eyes, and it wasn't a flicker of inspiration. It spelled danger. Though the two friends shared the dog's anger, that flicker bothered the both of them just a bit.
"There you two are!" Jessie greeted as she appeared.
"Are all the girls gathered?" Dolly asked.
"Yep. But I think you better head back to keep them in line!" Jessie exclaimed pointing her thumb behind her. Dolly laughed and headed back to Bonnie's bed. Jessie, however came to Mitsy and the two girls placed their arms around each other. "You okay?" Jessie asked.
Mitsy shrugged. "How about you?" She asked.
"Eh," Jessie stuck out her tongue. "After that no good varmint walked into our house, uninvited..."
"I hope you're talking about the bird." Mitsy joked, trying to lighten up and shake off the paranoia she felt.
"Of course I mean the bird, silly!" Jessie dug her fingers into Mitsy's hair and playfully rattled her head a little. "But after having to worry about him, and now Bonnie's probably gonna fess me up in a creepy dress, and have a tea party?! Yuck! Other than all that, I'm ginger-peachy." Mitsy grinned.
"No, Jessie. I mean, really." She said quietly. "Do you think everything will be okay?"
"I sure hope so." Jessie said honestly. "I tell you one thing, I'm sure gonna keep my eyes peeled for anyone lurking around here who doesn't belong!" Mitsy slightly smiled, but her eyes were focused on the corners of the doors and cracks in the walls. Jessie could see that she didn't entirely feel better, and honestly she felt a bit uneasy herself. But she wasn't about to let it control her. "Hey, as long as we all stick together, and with all our brave fellas around, what can happen, right?" Jessie spoke encouragingly.
"Right." Mitsy nodded with a big smile. I hope.
Do you think the Falcon deserves a second chance? What would you do in the situation? Why is Iris so negative about our favorite toys? What is it Matthew wants to talk to Woody about? Where do you think this story is going? Feed back would be helpful. If this story seems dull right now, I'm sorry but the real drama isn't here yet. Believe me, I want to get to those parts, the gist of this story, but I can't yet. I'm looking forward to bringing in the action, and Buzz will play an important part in it-after what you guys craved from An Act of True Love for him but didn't quite get two big questions are: is the Spikes Toy Gang gonna cause trouble again? AND, will someone or will someone not have any info about Bo Peep? Please keep reading.
