Chapter 7
Buzz looked up at him, "She's not breathing."
Bo grabbed Woody's arm, "Oh, God."
Buzz laid Jessie on the ground, tilting her head back, and began forcing breath into her mouth. He did this several times, stopping every so often to check to see if her breathing resumed, but each time he felt nothing. "C'mon, cowgirl; you gotta breathe. Please breathe." He pressed his mouth to hers again, willing her to wake up. He thought his heart was about to explode from the fear when he felt air coming back into his mouth. He pulled away and fought hard not to break down as Jessie sat up, coughing and taking in large gulps of air.
Jessie thought nothing tasted as sweet as that evening air, as she slumped back against something. Her eyelids fluttered and she saw Buzz looking at her, his face smudged with soot and his blue eyes brimming with concerned tears. She smiled weakly, "Hey."
"Oh, Jess," Buzz caught her against his chest in a tight embrace. His cheeks were wet with tears of relief, and he buried his face in her hair. "God, Jessie, I was so afraid…" He put an arm around her waist, helping her to stand.
Jessie leaned most of her weight against him, but looked at Woody, "Woody…"
He ran over, taking her face in his hands. "You're all right. You're all right. What happened?"
Jessie shook her head, "I'm not sure. I came up to shut the doors and I heard a noise. Bullseye was acting spooked, and I wanted to calm him down. That's when I smelled the smoke. I-I don't know what happened after that. It felt like my head exploded and that's the last thing I remember. I'm sorry, Woody."
Woody kissed her on her forehead, chocolate eyes meeting emerald ones, "It doesn't matter. You're out, you're safe, and that's all I care about right now." He could hear the sirens of the fire trucks wailing as they came up the lane.
Jessie's eyes widened and she looked back to the blazing structure, "The horses? Bullseye?"
"Got 'em all out, don't worry."
"Woody!" Sarge's voice called from the fire truck that pulled up next to them. "You folks all right?"
"Yeah, Sarge. We're all ok." He watched at the impressive speed and dexterity Sarge's team of firemen displayed as they hooked up hoses and began dousing the barn with water.
Woody wrapped his arms around Bo, and Buzz kept Jessie close as the four of them watched the firemen fight the blaze. A sense of loss crept into Woody's heart as he watched his grandfather's handiwork eaten by the flames. He heard Jessie sniffle a little and knew she felt the same.
Sarge ran over to him, nodding to Bo and Jessie, "Miss Bo, Miss Jessie, Buzz. Woody, I don't like to tell you, but it's a total loss. About all my men and I can do is to keep the flames from catching your fields on fire."
Woody nodded, "Do whatever you have to do."
There was a slight rumbling noise as the barn collapsed in on itself. As it crashed to the ground, Woody flinched and Jessie hid her face in Buzz's shirt.
Sarge turned back to Woody, "I'm sorry, Woody. I know your grandfather built that barn. Why don't you folks go back to the house; there's nothing you can do here. I'll stop in before we leave."
Woody nodded and gestured to Buzz; the four of them walked back down to the house, feeling as if they just witnessed the death of a loved one.
Bo immediately made a pot of strong coffee and was pressing a cup into Buzz's hand as they sat in the living room. Jessie wrapped her arms around her knees, and leaned against Buzz, oddly quiet. Bo handed Woody a mug as she sat on the arm of the chair, her hands resting on his shoulders. They sat together in silence, no one knowing what should be said.
It was Sarge's voice that eventually broke the silence, "Woody?"
"In here, Sarge," Woody called, standing up.
"The fire's out, and we think we got all of the hot spots. Your horses?"
Woody shook his head, "They're all out in the back pasture."
He nodded, "I'm sorry about the barn. Seems like they're going up like powder kegs all over the county with this dry spell."
Woody let out a sigh, "Yeah, been readin' that in the paper. We have insurance, and no one got hurt. That's the most important thing to me, right now." His eyes slid to Jessie.
Sarge gripped Woody on the shoulder and bid everyone a good night. They heard the rumbling of the fire truck fade into the distance, leaving the sounds of the summer night to fill the void.
Woody took Bo's hand, "Come and walk with me?" She nodded and the two of them walked out of the front door, leaving Jessie and Buzz on the couch.
Buzz jumped when Jessie spoke. "I should probably call Slink, tell him I may need a few days off," she said absently.
He brushed his finger along her cheek, "Want me to?"
She nodded, resting her chin on her knees, her eyes staring at the floor.
Buzz walked out to the kitchen phone. "Hi, Slink, it's Buzz Lightyear. I'm good, sir, you? Hey, listen, we had an incident out here at the ranch and Jess took a rather nasty hit to the head. Yes, sir, she's fine, but she may be needing to take it easy a few days. Thanks, I will tell her you said so. Tonight? No, she didn't say anything." He listened as Slink expressed concern over Jessie, filling him in on the outcome of the surgery. Buzz looked out towards Jessie, "I'll be sure to pass that along, sir. Yes, sir, I will. Good night."
He hung up the phone and walked back out to the living room. Jessie looked up at him, "He ok?"
"Yup, he said to tell you that he hopes you are okay and to take it easy."
She nodded, "Did he… did he say anything else?"
Buzz looked at her thoughtfully and smiled, "Yeah, actually. He said you are a remarkable woman and I don't deserve you."
A flicker of a smile crossed Jessie's face, "Well he's right, there." When she saw the semi-stricken look on Buzz's face, she grinned, "I am a remarkable woman."
Buzz laughed, sitting down next to her. As he did, she pulled his arm around her. One of the many things Buzz had always liked about Jessie is that she wasn't overly clingy. She was independent enough to know that when she did need his arm, she could just reach out and make it happen. He watched her as she played with his fingers, knowing that she would speak when she was ready.
Jessie didn't make him wait long. "Buzz?"
"Hmmm?"
"What would have happened if," she paused, changing her mind about what to say. "You could have been hurt."
Buzz blinked in surprise; that was not what he expected to hear her say. After all, hers was the life that was almost lost, that she was so worried about him rendered him speechless for a moment. He pulled her against him, kissing the side of her head, "But I wasn't, Jess."
She wrenched away from him, "But you could have been… Buzz, you could have died. And it would have been all my fault!"
He recognized the short breaths, the higher voice, and the frantic gleam in her eyes. When they were kids and she thought she was getting shut in the dark, she had the same reaction. Buzz took her face in his hands, pulling her so that her eyes met his, "Jessie, listen to me, no listen to me. Nothing that happened tonight was your fault. When I heard Bo telling Woody you were in the barn-" he broke off, his voice getting thick. After taking a few breaths, Buzz looked back at Jessie, "When she said where you were, all I knew was that I had to find you, no matter what. I don't care what I have to do, Jess; if it means keeping you safe, I'll do it. I know you're a big girl, 'can tie your own boots and everything'," he smiled and Jessie chuckled as she remembered using that line, "But you're my girl, and you mean everything to me. Please don't feel guilty and beat yourself up over this, okay?" He watched her nod, "Promise me?"
Jessie nodded again, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. "Maybe Slink is wrong about who doesn't deserve who."
Buzz couldn't help but grin, "Well I rather like our setup, so why don't we just agree to be undeserving together?"
She tilted her face up to look at him, "You got yourself a deal."
Bo and Woody came back in the house shortly after. "Bo's staying here the night, if you don't mind, Jess."
"Like I'm gonna mind," she cracked a smile, "Just keep it down, huh?"
Bo grinned rather wickedly for her, "No promises." She wrapped Jessie in a hug, "I'm so glad you're okay. See you in the morning."
Woody dropped a kiss on Jessie's head, and led Bo upstairs.
Jessie leaned her head against Buzz's shoulder, "Stay?"
He nodded, "I wasn't going to make you ask." As he turned off the living room lights, Jessie went to take care of the ones in the kitchen. He found her looking out the back window towards where the barn stood. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he whispered, "C'mon to bed, Cowgirl."
Peters slammed his fist down on Lotso's table. As soon as he received the call about the fire, he barged over to the man's house. "Did I not make it expressly clear that no one was to be hurt?"
Lotso did not flinch, "You made it expressly clear, sir, that you wanted that land."
"Yes, yes I want the land, but I want them with it! I want the land which their grandfather stole from me, but I want them, too; they're just as important as the property. It makes quite the collection," he mused to himself with that last statement.
"It would be easier to get your land with them out of the way."
Peters glared across the table before straightening up, "I think you have aided me enough, Mr. Lotso. I don't care for your methods. Have your desk cleaned out in the morning." He turned to leave.
"You're firing me?!"
Peters looked over his shoulder. "I'm replacing you," he said with finality, leaving the house.
Lotso's eyes darkened and he picked up his phone, dialing. "Stretch? It's me. You're right, the old man is too soft. It's time to take matters into our own hands. You know what to do."
