-Lucille? Lucille? Can you hear me? Where in carnations can she be? LUCILLE!
-Jess, you need to wake up
-Lucille? Oh thank HEAVENS you're alright!
-Jess please… wake up...
-Luce… what's going on, are you okay?
-Hurry Jess…..please…wake up…..I don't…have much time…..wake up… wake up…
"Wake up …There you go Hun. Just breathe deeply for me and open those beautiful eyes as best you can. If you can hear me please open your eyes for me, Baby-cakes,"
"Lu…cille…no…don't go….Lucille…." She moaned turning on the bed.
"There you go, Babes. Now open your eyes gently for me." The nurse whispered gently as she now started to take off the gas mask on Jessie's mouth.
"LUCILLE!" her head shot off her pillow as she was now in a sitting position. A wave of pain shot through her body at her own actions and she winced, shutting her eyes tightly. She felt multiple hands pulling her back down to the bed, which she had tried to fight, but failed immensely.
"What's going on?! Where's Lucille! What the hell have you done to her?!" Jessie cried as tears started to leak down her face as her horse was nowhere to be seen.
"Nurse Marine, please inform Sheriff Woody that Miss Jane is now awake."
"You're not answering me! Where is she?!"
"Sweetheart, you're in a doctor's operating room please keep your voice down," The doctor gently replied.
"You're a little weak from the knock, so please get some rest—"
"PRINCESS!" everyone shot their heads towards the door to see the sheriff of the town rushing to the princess's side.
"Woody!" She gasped over her crying as she pulled him into a tight embrace. She began to cry harder as, again, there was no sight of her horse, but merely Bullseye, sticking his head into the window with his head low in sadness
"Where is she, Woody?" Jessie whispered into Woody's ear as her tears had now gone and were replaced wet stains. Woody's embrace tightened as the memory came back to him…
Flashback*
Lucille… He thought before quickly running to his porch. Once there, his heart had stopped beating in his chest and his breath caught in his throat…
There, in front of him, lay Lucille. Her body seemed a lot smaller… and vulnerable. He slowly walked over to the white Arabian stallion. Her coat shone silver as the sun peeked from between the trees and shone down onto her. With every ray of sun, her silver, shining coat slowly started to lose its color and was replaced with an off white. As Woody drew nearer, he noticed in her coat, close to her stomach, a small whole made itself visible as red liquid slowly oozing from it and onto the green grass. He halted beside her and kneeled down to press his ear to her swollen stomach…
Nothing.
He tried putting his ear somewhere else on her body…
Nothing. Not even a slight rise and fall of her chest… And therefore Woody had to believe that he was too late…
"That there horse must have been close to giving birth." Woody's head shot up at the sound of a voice.
"…I beg your pardon, Sir?" He managed to get out of him after a minute of confusion. The young man (about his age) laughed lightly and kneeled in front of the horse's stomach and gestured for Woody to sit next to him. Woody cautiously sat down next to him, not taking his eyes away from him.
"What I meant is, look," He whispered before gently poking his index finger into Lucille's stomach. Just as he had done that, it started to move. Woody jumped back in surprise.
"What the HELL?" He cried.
"Don't be alarmed my dear friend. It is merely the foal that was to be born after, or maybe even before the gunshot. Luckily the shot just missed the young one and hit the horse's intestine. However, I would highly suggest that that we move quickly and get this horse and its foal to a doctor in the next ten minutes. Oh and I'm Buzz by the way." He calmly stated with a warm smile. Woody could do nothing but watch as 'Buzz' tried to find a tractor.
End Of flashback*
"Why are you not answering me?! What happened?!" She yelled at him as yet another river of tears bursted from her now angry, saddened green eyes. Woody couldn't meet her gaze, but instead he took her arm and led her out the door.
"Uhm, Sheriff? She needs to rest!" The doctor called after him. Woody ignored and whistled to Bullseye, who came hurrying to his side.
"I ain't goin' nowhere until you explain what the hell is going on!" She cried fighting him his grasp on her.
"Please get on the horse, my lady." He almost demanded, yet still not looking into her eyes.
"I ain't doin' bull—HEY! PUT ME DOWN SHERIFF!" Woody, without saying another word, placed her effortlessly onto Bullseye and threw himself over in front of her.
"You know where to go," Woody whispered in Bullseyes ears as he nodded in understanding.
"Hey howdy hey, giddy up Bullseye!"
_ Meanwhile with Ben and Emma_
"Emma, Barbie, this is Prince Lotso Huggin' of Sunnyside… Jessie's fiancé." He added with a slight grin on his face.
"Lovely to meet you dear Sir." Barbie mumbled. Her mother stayed silent, glaring daggers into her husband's head, hopeful that his eyes would pop from their sockets.
"Anyway, Jessie unfortunately won't be home today, but will definitely be here by the end of this week. So please do make yourself comfortable in anyone of our thirty-odd rooms during the meantime."
"Why, thank you Ben. " Lotso smiled almost evilly.
"SERVANT!" The young Price yelled to Bonnie who rushed to his side immediately.
"Take my things to my room. When I come back from my walk with your master, my suitcases better be unpacked. Or else there will be consequences. UNDERSTAND?!" he spat at the young maid. She nodded her head without another word and grabbed the closest bag, and ran upstairs hoping to escape the young Princes stare on her.
"Foul creatures." He stated looking back at the family that were staring at him, mouths agape.
Yes! He is indeed the perfect man for Jessie. He could teach her some manners, Ben thought to himself smirking.
"Indeed they are! Now if you don't mind, Emma and Barbie, I would like to show our guest around….ALONE." He said before him and the young Prince turned their backs to them and walked out of the castle doors to walk around in the garden.
"Sweatheart, why don't you go and help Bonnie with the bags and unpacking them? I think she would gladly appreciate it." Her mother smiled weakly. Barbie noded her head before grabbing two bags, one in either hand, walking up slowly to the room that the Prince had picked. Once Barbie had disappeared, Emma made her way to her room, walking with her head down and her dress dragging behind her. Once at her destination, she gently pushed open her door and walked inside, slowly then shutting the door behind her. She moved her gaze up to her dresser where a small silver blade lay.
"I'm sorry, Jess…" She whispered before a tear rolled down her cheek and she locked the door with one swift move.
_Back with Jessie and Woody_
Jessie was quiet the whole way, a tear rolling down her face every ten minutes. It hurt Woody deep down when they finally arrived at the ACC (Animal Care Centre). Jessie loosened her grip on Woody so that he could jump down to the ground and help her off of Bullseye.
"Why are we here, Woody? You haven't said anything the whole way-" She was stopped mid-sentence as Woody reached his hand out for her to take.
"Do you trust me?" He whispered. Without looking at him, she reached her hand out to him and gently took hold of it. He smiled at her before leading her to the horse stables where a man in his early twenties stood waiting for them with a bottle in his hand.
"Woody! It was successful!" He cried waving his arms in the air and beckoning him to come closer. Jessie stared in confusion.
"What was successful?" She asked, her grip tightening on Woody's hand and her heart's beat becoming harder and faster. Woody looked at her with one of the saddest smiles he thought he could hold.
"Come on! Hurry up! He's opening his eyes!" Buzz yelled. Jessie ran, pulling Woody along with her as her curiosity took over. Once there she couldn't believe her eyes…
She looked back at Woody, now pale as snow., realizing who the young horse resembled.
"Is he…. Lucilles?"
